Photo: AMIR COHEN/AP/picture alliance
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being questioned in the Tel Aviv District Court as part of the 4000 case, in which he is accused of bribery and abuse of public trust.
This was reported by Newsru.
A dispute in the courtroom: Netanyahu hits the table with his fist
Netanyahu is answering questions from his lawyer, Amit Hadad, who is trying to prove that the prime minister was not aware of the agreements between the owner of the Walla media holding, Shaul Alovich, and the editorial board that allegedly cleaned up negative material about the prime minister.
However, during the hearing, there was a tense argument. The judges repeatedly asked to speed up the interrogation, pointing out that Netanyahu was repeating the same answers and the lawyer was asking the same questions.
“Everything is more or less clear. Netanyahu insists he knew nothing,” said Judge Moshe Bar-Am.
The Prime Minister reacted sharply to the court’s attempts to restrict his speech:
“I am protesting! For ten years, I have been dragged through all instances on bribery charges. 315 episodes of charges are falling apart one by one. Because of this, the whole country has become a hostage. Because of this, my family was dragged through the gates of hell. But I will stand! And I have the right to smash this absurdity for a few more minutes! ” he exclaimed, pounding his fist on the table.
Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman urged the prime minister to tone it down, but he continued:
“I’m usually reserved, but something completely unacceptable is happening now! Baseless accusations have ruined my life! I am working as Prime Minister even these days, coming here twice a week, and they want to deprive me of my right to defend myself? This is a lie!”
After that, Netanyahu received a memo, after which he asked to adjourn the meeting “for a long time”.
What’s next?
The defence has no more than seven sessions left before the end of the interrogation, after which Netanyahu will be questioned by the prosecutor‘s office.
The trial is ongoing, and the prime minister’s emotional speech has only fuelled the tension surrounding his case. Will he be able to avoid a conviction, or will the judges not accept his statements as a valid argument? The answers to this question may determine not only his future, but also the political landscape of Israel.
