Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed his testimony at the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday, during re-cross-examination by his attorney Amit Hadad. Netanyahu accused the prosecution of manipulation and presenting innocent events as corrupt, and displayed photos from Milchan's Paris estate from the early 2000s, including actor Sean Connery and then-MK Yair Lapid. The defense argues the state's case that Netanyahu promoted the Israel Hayom law in exchange for favorable coverage is based on an invention, not reality.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony resumed Tuesday at the Tel Aviv District Court in case 2000, the so-called Israel Hayom bribery affair, during the re-cross-examination by his attorney Amit Hadad. According to courtroom reports, Netanyahu accused the prosecution of deep manipulation, claiming it presents innocent social events as illicit transactions. He specifically pointed to photographs from the Milchan estate near Paris in the early 2000s — showing Netanyahu with actor Sean Connery and then-MK Yair Lapid — which Hadad submitted but were not introduced as evidence by the state. Netanyahu told the court these were purely social gatherings, not meetings about coverage. The prime minister further stated that the entire charge against him was invented: 'There was no way to prevent freedom of voting. I am on trial, and this is not an offense. They invented this offense that I am not guilty of.'
As The Zioneer previously reported, the defense's strategy throughout the trial has been to frame the prosecution's case as politically motivated, with Netanyahu accusing investigators and prosecutors of setting a trap. Tuesday's session introduced new visual evidence — the photos — that the defense says disproves the state's narrative of a quid-pro-quo relationship. The prosecution has not yet responded to the new evidence; the court is expected to continue the cross-examination in the coming days.
DETAILS REMAIN UNCLEAR: The precise legal significance of the photographs — whether they were formally submitted as evidence or merely displayed for argument — is not fully determined from the reports. Netanyahu's exact claim regarding the free-vote argument ("no possibility to prevent freedom of voting") requires further elaboration. The source is a desk-reviewed report attributed to the court reporting; no independent outlet has yet corroborated the specific claims about the photos or the tone of the exchange.
- DevelopingNetanyahu defense re-cross-examination in Case 2000 concludes for the day
- DevelopingAt trial, Netanyahu tells judges he sees very high prosecution responsiveness
- StrongNetanyahu blasts prosecution in closing cross-examination: 'You will spend your lives in court'
- DevelopingNetanyahu blasts investigators in Case 2000 hearing, accuses political persecution
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