Khaberni - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to the witness stand at the Tel Aviv Central Court to give his testimony in his ongoing criminal trial.
The session took place as part of the cross-examination conducted by the prosecution in the cases where Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
The session focused on Case 4000, where the prosecution accuses Netanyahu of striking a deal with Bezeq's former owner, Shaul Elovitch.
According to the indictment, Netanyahu pushed for regulatory decisions worth hundreds of millions of shekels in Bezeq's favor, in exchange for him receiving positive and detailed media coverage on the Walla website, which Netanyahu completely denies.
During the session, the Attorney General Yehudit Tirosh interrogated Netanyahu about a conversation that took place just before his official visit to Japan, noting that the conversation included, at the very least, issues related to media coverage, with Netanyahu seeking to benefit from Elovitch's opinions on the matter.
Tirosh said that Netanyahu spoke with Elovitch at the last moment before leaving for Japan, questioning whether he needed his opinions and analysis, especially regarding media coverage.
Netanyahu responded, rejecting this proposal and criticizing what he described as the prosecution's limited understanding of market mechanisms. He said in the courtroom that this approach reflects a traditional bureaucratic mindset, asserting that if he had operated in this manner alone, Israel would not have achieved the significant economic overhaul it experienced.
Netanyahu added, addressing the Attorney General directly, that individuals in the market often possess deeper knowledge than government officials, considering it difficult for representatives of the bureaucracy to understand these dynamics.
Netanyahu acknowledged that he consulted Elovitch on more than one occasion, not just once, describing him as a person with profound and insightful knowledge, but he emphasized at the same time that there was no link between these consultations and the regulatory decisions that the prosecution claims granted privileges to Bezeq.
Although Netanyahu had earlier affirmed his ability to combine managing the trial and performing his duties as Prime Minister, he has repeatedly requested to reduce the days of testimony or cancel them, justifying this with his official commitments. On Monday, he requested again to end the session early due to a Knesset meeting scheduled later in the day.
Outside the courthouse, a small number of demonstrators who wore orange suits organized a protest that coincided with the session.
