Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finished his testimony in the corruption trial Wednesday, completing 98 sessions on the witness stand. The Jerusalem Post reports he shuttled between court, security briefings, and coalition management throughout the process, which covered charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his marathon testimony in the corruption trial Wednesday at noon, after appearing on the witness stand for 98 sessions over a year and a half. The Jerusalem Post reported that throughout the ordeal — which covered the bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000 — Netanyahu attended 98 testimonies to hear his defense, and his routine involved traveling between the courthouse, security briefings, and managing a frayed coalition. As The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday at 09:37 Jerusalem, Netanyahu delivered a fiery closing speech from the stand, calling the decade-long investigation a 'vile, false, malicious' witch hunt that ruined families and sought to undermine the public's right to elect him as leader. The conclusion of testimony marks a major procedural milestone in the years-long trial. The court will now hear summations from both sides before a verdict is delivered.
The thread began at 09:37 Jerusalem on Wednesday, when defense attorney Amit Haddad announced the testimony would end that day (version 1). By 09:37, multiple Israeli outlets confirmed Netanyahu had left the stand for the last time, with associates saying he believed he 'won' the 98-day ordeal (versions 2 and 3). The same time stamps also carried versions reporting the formal conclusion after 98 sessions and the prime minister's scathing closing remarks (versions 4 and 5). Source quality evolved from an attorney's statement to on-record reports by N12 and other newsrooms.
As The Zioneer has reported throughout the trial, Netanyahu has consistently attacked the prosecution's case as politically motivated. Earlier in the proceedings, on Wednesday June 17 at 15:27 Jerusalem, the prime minister told judges he observed 'very high responsiveness' from the prosecution, while his legal team complained of unequal treatment by the court.
What remains open is the timeline for summations and the eventual verdict, which have not yet been set by the court.
5 developments
- StrongNetanyahu's testimony scheduled to end today at 14:00
- DevelopingNetanyahu's testimony begins; defense lawyers avoid committing to timeline
- DevelopingNetanyahu defense re-cross-examination in Case 2000 concludes for the day
- StrongNetanyahu blasts prosecution in closing cross-examination: 'You will spend your lives in court'
Source and signal
- Internal intake