The defense testimony hearings in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial began on Case 2000 in the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday, the last of the three cases against him before cross-examination will begin.
The trial ended several hours early. Within less than an hour, reports began to emerge of massive air strikes on the Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. The IDF said soon after that it conducted a wide array of hits on electric power stations and a cement factory to weaken the Houthis. At the start of the hearing, lead defense attorney Amit Hadad asked for a break at 3:30 p.m., for a “security consultation” the prime minister had scheduled.
In Case 2000, or the "Netanyahu-Mozes Affair," Netanyahu was investigated for his relationship circa 2017 with the owner of Yediot Ahronot, Arnon “Noni” Mozes. Allegedly, Mozes offered Netanyahu better coverage for himself and his family in the publication, along with opposite coverage for his political opponents.
In exchange, Netanyahu allegedly used his position of power to advance legislation that would levy restrictions on competitor Israel Hayom, owned by the family of the late Sheldon Adelson.
The prosecution indicted Netanyahu for fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes was indicted for offering a bribe.
To undercut this accusation, the prosecution would need to show that the coverage given by Yedioth was negative, not positive, similar to what it did in Case 4000 with similar circumstances to Walla.
“You only need to look at the headlines” to understand that the coverage wasn't outstandingly positive, Netanyahu said.
Mozes was in attendance in the court audience on Tuesday.
The indictment further claims that over the years, Netanyahu and Mozes conducted a series of meetings, between the years 2008 and 2014, in which they discussed coverage of the Netanyahus and the legislation.
Asked if he thought there were criminal elements in these discussions, Netanyahu said, “No, there was nothing criminal. These were ordinary discussions like ones I'd have with all CEOs.”
Asked if he thought Mozes offered him a bribe, Netanyahu said he didn't and that the prosecution “is making things up.”
He reiterated that this is “something that happens all the time [conversations with news CEOs] - yet this resulted in an indictment that is only against me, part of the crazy construction they built.”
Hadad later asked how much this was investigated in real time. Netanyahu referred to what then-state attorney Shai Nitzan said at the time, that “they had to start from somewhere. They began with me, and continued to Noni [Mozes] - they investigated him to hurt me, sacrificed him for their holy war.”
He explained that as one of the leading news outlets, Yediot had a strong influence on public opinion, hence the conversations with Mozes.
“It also had a strong leftist lean, which reflected the changes I thought should be made to the Israeli media landscape,” he added, referring to negative articles written about him and his family.
The hearings on Case 2000 will continue tomorrow.