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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised defiantly connected Tuesday to sound down corruption allegations against him arsenic he began testifying successful his long-running trial, becoming nan first sitting Israeli leader to return nan guidelines arsenic a criminal defendant.
The grounds is different debased constituent for Israel’s longest-serving leader, who besides faces an world apprehension warrant for alleged warfare crimes successful Israel’s warfare successful Gaza.
In his opening grounds successful a packed Tel Aviv courtroom, Netanyahu based on that he was a dedicated leader and a defender of Israel’s interests, swatting distant nan charges against him arsenic a “drop successful nan sea” compared to nan challenges he has faced protecting his country.
But nan charges person torn unfastened divisions successful Israel and analyzable Netanyahu’s legacy, which has besides been tainted by nan warfare successful Gaza and nan increasing world isolation Israel faces because of it.
Speaking freely and appearing astatine ease, Netanyahu said he could equilibrium appearing astatine his proceedings pinch his duties arsenic premier curate astatine a clip erstwhile Israel is still fighting a warfare successful Gaza and contending pinch nan autumn of Bashar Assad successful neighboring Syria.
“I waited 8 years for this moment, to opportunity nan truth,” Netanyahu said, opinionated astatine a podium, pinch his boy Avner and respective members of his Likud statement seated connected nan courtroom benches. He said his grounds would “poke holes successful nan absurd accusations.”
MENAHEM KAHANA via Getty Images
Netanyahu will reply during his tribunal appearances to charges of fraud, breach of spot and accepting bribes successful three abstracted cases.
He is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worthy of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer successful speech for assistance pinch individual and business interests. He is besides accused of promoting advantageous regulations for media moguls successful speech for favorable sum of himself and his family.
Netanyahu, 75, denies wrongdoing, saying nan charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a dispute media and a biased ineligible strategy retired to topple his lengthy rule. His grounds caps years of scandals that person swirled astir him and his family, who person gained a estimation arsenic enjoying a lavish manner astatine taxpayers’ expense.
Netanyahu’s grounds is taking spot successful an underground, fortified courtroom for information reasons. Outside nan courthouse, dozens of protesters gathered, some supporters of Netanyahu and his opponents. A banner draped extracurricular publication “Crime Minister” arsenic each broadside chanted slogans. Some families of hostages held successful Gaza besides demonstrated.
Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images
At nan commencement of his testimony, a judge told Netanyahu he had nan aforesaid privileges arsenic different witnesses and could beryllium aliases guidelines arsenic he chose.
Netanyahu told his type of events and shared individual specifications astir his life that he mightiness dream would style nan judges’ cognition of him. He said astatine nan commencement of his profession successful nationalist work he would suffer slumber complete media sum but learned it had nary meaningful base — successful opposition to nan prosecution’s attempts to overgarment him arsenic image-obsessed.
He said he smoked cigars but could hardly decorativeness them because of his workload, and hated champagne.
Ahead of nan testimony’s start, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, accused nan Israeli justness strategy of making up nan charges successful an effort to ensnare Netanyahu.
“There was a immense effort … to find a fewer pieces of a puzzle that don’t link to each other,” Haddad said, arsenic Netanyahu sat connected a chair down him. “In court, successful nan ray of day, we spot everything falls apart.”
The testimony, group to return spot six hours a day, 3 days a week for respective weeks, will return up a important chunk of Netanyahu’s moving hours, prompting critics to inquire if he tin capably negociate a state embroiled successful a warfare connected 1 front, containing nan fallout from a second, and keeping tabs connected different imaginable location threats, including from Iran.
His lawyer asked that he beryllium allowed to person notes while testifying to thief guarantee he could proceed moving nan country, and astatine immoderate points during nan trial, Netanyahu did.
Under Israeli law, indicted premier ministers are not required to measurement down. But nan charges against Netanyahu cleaved heavy divisions successful Israel, pinch protesters demanding he resign and erstwhile governmental friends refusing to service successful authorities pinch nan Israeli leader, triggering a governmental situation that led to 5 elections successful little than 4 years opening successful 2019.
Netanyahu’s supporters position nan charges arsenic nan consequence of bias and overreach by nan justness system.
Despite nan pressure, Netanyahu has rejected calls to measurement down and has utilized his position arsenic premier curate to lash retired astatine rule enforcement, media and courts.
An Israeli tribunal rejected a petition by Netanyahu’s lawyers to trim nan expected number of hours of testimony, arsenic good arsenic respective other requests to hold its start, which they said were basal because of nan premier minister’s engaged schedule and nan country’s important challenges. A verdict isn’t expected until 2026 astatine nan earliest and Netanyahu will person nan action to entreaty to nan Supreme Court.
Since nan proceedings began successful 2020, nan tribunal has heard prosecution witnesses successful nan 3 cases, including immoderate of Netanyahu’s erstwhile closest aides who turned authorities witnesses. The prosecution has tried to represent nan premier curate arsenic an image-obsessed leader who collapsed nan rule to amended his nationalist perception.
Netanyahu’s grounds could further tarnish his image astatine a analyzable time. His celebrated support dropped aft Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, pinch nan nationalist blaming his activity for failing to forestall nan assault, and if elections were held coming he would struggle to shape a government. Israel is still fighting Hamas successful Gaza pinch nary extremity successful sight, contempt dense world unit to upwind down nan war, arsenic good arsenic unit from nan families of hostages held successful Gaza and their supporters to bring their loved ones home.
The Israeli leader on pinch his erstwhile defense curate besides look an apprehension warrant from nan International Criminal Court for alleged warfare crimes charges related to nan warfare successful Gaza. The warrant puts Netanyahu successful nan aforesaid institution arsenic Russian President Vladimir Putin and erstwhile Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir.
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