Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Monday that he had nothing to do with the connection between Arnon Milchan and Shlomo Filber or any communication surrounding it, during a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday. “I had no way to influence it,” he said.
Netanyahu is attending hearings that will focus on Case 1000, the "Illegal Gifts" affair. In it, Netanyahu is on trial for allegedly pushing to advance legislation favorable to Milchan, the Hollywood producer and his longtime friend. The prosecution claims that he did this while receiving thousands of shekels worth of cigars and champagne.
Per the indictment, Netanyahu allegedly directed Shlomo Filber, who was the director-general of the Communications Ministry in 2015 and later became a state witness, to help Milchan with regulatory concerns. This was related to a merger deal between media companies Reshet and Keshet, which Milchan was considering investing in.
The interrogation of Milchan by police in December 2016 is what terminated their relationship, Netanyahu said last week.
The indictment alleges that Netanyahu appointed Filber to the Communications Ministry rather suddenly, and then told him to examine how he could help Milchan.
Milchan and Filber allegedly spoke to each other after this as well. The indictment stipulates that he did this so he could exert more control over the Israeli journalism sphere.
“What interested me at the time was introducing range into the Israeli journalism sphere. We saw this yesterday [with the affidavit against Shin Bet Ronen Bar]. It’s a leftist monolith that hides things from people and serves as a massive danger to democracy. When you give one narrative, that’s dangerous,” Netanyahu charged.
He also said he didn't have a particular interest in it, but that the matter as a whole bothered him. “Personnel is policy,” he said in English.
The comments came in response to a request by Hadad for Netanyahu to address the claim that he wanted Milchan to purchase an Israeli news group in order to control it.
Netanyahu also downplayed his role when it came to Milchan’s investment interests. “It’s absurd,” he said, adding, “This is crazy,” in English.
“I took two meetings with him, like I would with anyone else,” he added.
Netanyahu's team clashes with judges
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team clashed with the judges at the start of the hearing, due to a request that lead Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman said was submitted too late.
About a dozen protestors gathered outside the courthouse, ahead of Netanyahu's criminal trial testimony hearing on Monday.
"Send to jail Qatar's ambassador - Netanyahu... Nearly 30 years and nothing has changed... You can't stop the protest - go home!" chanted protesters at the entrance to the Tel Aviv District Court.
"You built up Hamas!" the protesters said.