Photo: Depositphotos
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again found himself at the centre of a political and judicial storm. According to Ynet, during his appearance in the courtroom, he ignored journalists’ questions about the loud statements made by Shabak head Ronen Bar, as well as the words of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said this morning that “the return of the kidnapped is not the most important task”.
Instead of answering, the prime minister went on the offensive: during his testimony in the 1000 case, he sharply criticised the key witness Hadas Klein, an assistant to Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan, who testified about the gifts Netanyahu allegedly received from the businessman.
“She was recruited against me, and she is lying in court. She sits here and lies brazenly. I am dealing with a campaign that has never been seen in the history of democracy,” the Prime Minister said in his court appearance.
⸻
Political tensions are rising
Netanyahu’s refusal to comment on the statement by Shabak head Ronen Barak, who had previously criticised the government for its inaction on the hostage issue, was another alarming signal of deep divisions in the country’s leadership.
An additional resonance was caused by the statement of Smotrych, one of the most influential far-right ministers, who actually questioned the priority of rescuing abducted citizens in the context of the war in Gaza.
⸻
Netanyahu is now balancing a trial, growing domestic pressure and increasingly harsh criticism from political allies and security agencies. His court appearance appears to have been another attempt to shift the focus of public attention from the war and hostages to his own legal defence.
