Benjamin Netanyahu has begun giving evidence in a court in Tel Aviv in his long-running corruption trial, becoming the first sitting Israeli prime minister to take the stand as a criminal defendant.
“I have waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth as I remember it, which is important for justice,” said Netanyahu, who was wearing a blue suit and white shirt, with a flag of Israel on one lapel and the yellow ribbon symbol of Israel’s hostages in Gaza on the other.
“But I am also a prime minister. I am leading the country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel.”
Calling the charges against him “an ocean of absurdness” he promised his version of events would cut through the prosecution’s case as his remarks veered between emphasising his international importance and painting himself and his family as victims.
Netanyahu, who is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases, is expected in the first instance to be questioned by his defence lawyer for several days.
The 75-year-old is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests, and of promoting advantageous regulation for media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of himself and his family.
He denies wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch-hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system out to topple his lengthy rule.
The court has spent months hearing prosecution witnesses in the three cases, including some of Netanyahu’s once-closest aides who turned state witnesses, who have testified in detail, painting him as controlling and image-obsessed.
Asked by his lawyer Amit Hadad on Tuesday about the accusation that he had “indulgently” “exploited his position to receive benefits worth hundreds of thousands of shekels” Netanyahu said the allegations were “total lies”.
Netanyahu’s tactic on the opening day appeared to be to treat the trial as a political event, listing what he sees as his many political achievements in the hope of swaying the judges.
In his opening replies Netanyahu took the opportunity to paint himself as a significant global figure, a public servant who had no interest in the media, who needed to be constantly connected even as the trial proceeded.
At one point he appeared to criticise the former Obama administration’s Middle East policy and at another complained about press coverage of himself and his wife, as he depicted himself working long hours.
“I work 17, 18 hours a day,” he said. “Everyone who knows me knows this. That’s how I work. I eat my meals at my work table, it’s not cordon bleu, it’s not waiters coming with white gloves.”
He said he smoked cigars but could rarely finish them because of his workload, and detested champagne.
Netanyahu’s testimony follows evidence from 120 prosecution witnesses in three cases known popularly as Cases 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000. Netanyahu had arrived in court earlier appearing serious and somewhat haggard, shaking hands with the ministers and MPs who had come to support him as he arrived.
Other government ministers, including Israel’s justice minister, issued statements of support before the proceedings. Critics of the prime minister and supporters mounted rival demonstrations outside the court building.
The rightwing populist politician, who is also wanted under an international warrant issued by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Gaza, has long tried to avoid this day, despite insisting on Monday night in a taped video address that he welcomed the opportunity to give evidence.
His appearance in a small, stuffy and crowded courtroom follows last-minute efforts by his political allies in the Knesset to put off the court date, citing clashes over voting, as well as the invocation of the security situation in Israel.
In his opening speech, Hadad criticised the indictment against his client, saying: “The Israeli police did not investigate a crime, but a person” provocatively comparing the process against Netanyahu to something that might be seen in “Russia or North Korea”.
The appearance is an embarrassing milestone for a leader who has tried to cultivate an image as a sophisticated and respected statesman, while also making high-profile attempts to sideline Israel’s independent judiciary.
Dozens of people gathered outside the court in Tel Aviv, some protesting against Netanyahu, including family members of hostages held in Gaza, and also a group of his supporters. A banner draped in front of the court read: “Crime Minister.”
Under Israeli law, indicted prime ministers are not required to step down. Nevertheless, the charges against Netanyahu have exposed deep divisions in Israel. Protesters demanded he resign and former political allies refused to serve in his government, triggering a political crisis that led to five elections in less than four years beginning in 2019.
Before the war, Netanyahu’s legal troubles bitterly divided Israelis and shook Israeli politics through five rounds of elections. His government’s bid last year to curb the powers of the judiciary further polarised Israelis.
The shock Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023, and the ensuing Gaza war swept Netanyahu’s trial off the public agenda as Israelis came together in grief and trauma. But as the war dragged on, political unity crumbled.
