Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forthcoming and didn't conceal his minor friendship with co-defendant and ex-Walla owner Shaul Elovitch, the Israeli leader and his defense attorney Amit Hadad argued about the conflict of interest issue at Netanyahu's Monday corruption trial testimony.
Following a 2015 Haaretz article highlighting the connection between then-communication minister Netanyahu and Bezeq telecommunications owner Elovitch, Justice Ministry legal advisor Dani Chorin contacted the prime minister to clarify the nature of their relationship.
The defense noted that Prime Minister's Office legal advisor Shlomit Barnea-Fargo responded just two hours after the query, arguing that this indicated how transparent Netanyahu was about the relationship.
Barnea-Fargo, herself a witness in the case, had responded that Netanyahu had known Elovitch for 20 years and met once every few months at social events with Elovitch, his wife, and other friends.
Netanyahu had claimed there were no loans or donations from Elovitch. Netanyahu argued that without a financial or close relationship, concerns about a conflict of interest were unfounded. Netanyahu downplayed his relationship with Elovitch before the court, explaining that they were not close friends.
"I knew him for 20 years, we weren't friends for 20 years," Netanyahu said.
Barnea-Fargo had suggested in her 2015 response that they develop a conflict of interest agreement regarding Elovitch's holdings. Netanyahu said that he had agreed not to deal with Elovitch's affairs, and had done so because it didn't interest him.
Barnea-Fargo also told Chorin that measures impacting Elovitch's holdings had been introduced before Netanyahu took the portfolio and as part of a series of policies developed by Communication Ministry civil servants.
Netanyahu noted that the issue of unusual news coverage was not raised back in 2015 regarding his connection to the ex-Walla owner.
Interview deemed unusual coverage
While much of the fourteenth testimony was focused on the conflict of interest issue, Hadad also focused on the indictment's exhibition of a 2015 Walla interview with the prime minister that was deemed unusual coverage.
Netanyahu said that he hadn't been interested in Walla's request for a pre-election interview, but was convinced to accept the invitation by former aide and state's witness Nir Hefetz.
Hadad argued that the interview featured a hostile line of questioning in which Netanyahu was repeatedly interrupted. Hadad played a clip of the interview before the court to demonstrate, after which Netanyahu said that he was boiling with anger because he had been promised a fair interview and had supposedly been deceived.
"I'm a sucker," said Netanyahu. "I was angry at myself that I allowed the interview."
Netanyahu suggested that if there was an agreement between him and Elovitch, the interview wouldn't have been so hostile in the first place. The prime minister said that he had contacted Elovitch after the interview, but couldn't remember if the ex-Walla owner, aide Nir Hefetz, or he had suggested a follow-up interview.
Alleged media bribery scheme middleman Zeev Rubinstein had also contacted ex-Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua about the negative interview, but Netanyahu insisted that his friend had done this of his own accord, adding that he wouldn't need Rubinstein if he was speaking directly to Elovitch.
Netanyahu denied that he had sought to edit the interview, in contradiction with a 2021 testimony by Hefetz and the indictment's allegations. Hefetz said that Netanyahu had sat with him while the aide edited the interview on his laptop. Walla had proposed an edit, according to Netanyahu.
Sections of the interview that according to the indictment had supposedly been removed due to the prime minister's requests appeared to still be in the online version.
Hadad presented the video to the court, playing sections that had supposedly been removed. Netanyahu also said that it was clear that he was not the one to make the edit requests to Elovitch and Yeshua. Hefetz had contacted Walla two days after the interview article was published, acting in accordance with what Netanyahu said was his duties as a spokesperson.
Hadad had also presented a 2019 interview with National Unity leader Benny Gantz in which the interviewer asked the politician how he was so statesman-like, drawing a contrast with the 2015 Walla interview with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu complained that there was no inquiry into unusual treatment of his political rival, but a negative interview he had with Walla was seen by prosecutors as positive coverage. The prosecution objected to the interview's presentation, arguing that it was a different interviewer and outlet.
The Monday testimony ended early at the request of the prime minister, who had an address to make at the Knesset and was dealing with the security developments surrounding a Haifa terrorist attack. The fifteenth hearing was set for Tuesday, having been shifted from Wednesday at Netanyahu's request.