🇮🇱 History will be made in Israel today as Prime Minister @netanyahu walks into Jerusalem’s District Court to become the country’s first sitting leader to go on trial.
3 years of investigations, 3 separate cases & 3 elections. A witch-hunt says the PM; an attempted coup.
3 years of investigations, 3 separate cases & 3 elections. A witch-hunt says the PM; an attempted coup.
The charges against @netanyahu:
❌Case 1000 - The Gifts Affair: Fraud & breach of trust
❌Case 2000 - The Media Affair: Fraud & breach of trust
❌Case 4000 - The Bezeq Affair: Bribary, fraud & breach of trust
❌Case 1000 - The Gifts Affair: Fraud & breach of trust
❌Case 2000 - The Media Affair: Fraud & breach of trust
❌Case 4000 - The Bezeq Affair: Bribary, fraud & breach of trust
❌ Case 1000: It’s alleged @netanyahu received goods totalling £162,000 from 2 businessmen (🍾+cigars) over a continuous period (‘a supply channel’) & that he ‘acted for the benefit’ of businessmen. He insists gifts were ‘tokens of friendship’ + that he didn’t act inappropriately
❌ Case 2000: It’s alleged that @netanyahu held several meetings with Arnon Mozes, controlling shareholder of Yedioth Ahronoth media group and they discussed promoting their common interests: favourable coverage in return for restrictions of rival paper. Both men deny wrongdoing.
❌ Case 4000: a ‘reciprocal arrangement’ between @netanyahu and Shaul Elovitch, controlling shareholder in Bezeq (Israeli telecoms firm). It’s alleged that the PM was involved in the promotion of regulatory decisions that favoured Bezeq.
Mr @netanyahu has repeatedly called the whole investigation & trial a ‘witch-hunt’; an ‘attempted coup’ and has variously blamed the police, the judiciary, the state prosecutors, the Attorney-General, his political opponents. “A terror attack against Israeli democracy”.
Several attempts by @netanyahu to avoid the trial and then to avoid attending today have failed. By law, a sitting PM doesn’t have to resign until a final conviction and all appeals have been exhausted. This could go on for years. There are 333 prosecution witnesses.
An attempt by @netanyahu to secure parliamentary immunity from prosecution failed. The trial was delayed by two months because of coronavirus restrictions.
He had argued, unsuccessfully, that attending today was unnecessary & costly and would violate social distancing rules.
He had argued, unsuccessfully, that attending today was unnecessary & costly and would violate social distancing rules.
Today @netanyahu & other defendants will attend to hear charges against them & to confirm they understand them all. Defendants can enter plea bargain at any point before verdict.
@netanyahu is a renowned, extraordinary political survivor ‘the magician’. What surprises to come?
@netanyahu is a renowned, extraordinary political survivor ‘the magician’. What surprises to come?
A panel of judges will listen to the evidence & deliver verdict but that will probably be many months away. Even if verdict comes after the duration of his 18-month tenure as PM (under the new coalition deal with @gantzbe), he is still not required to resign.
His supporters are outside court today. But critics are here too. There is real concern that the @netanyahu strategy of attacking the legal system is undermining public faith in Israel’s democratic institutions. 
It’s noisy, lively (and windy!) outside Jerusalem’s District Court
Israeli PM @netanyahu arrives at Jerusalem court for start of the trial he’s tried so hard to avoid.
Speaking on arrival he said he‘ll ‘stand tall, head held high’ and says case against him is aimed at ‘toppling me in any way possible’ 🎥 via @N12News
Speaking on arrival he said he‘ll ‘stand tall, head held high’ and says case against him is aimed at ‘toppling me in any way possible’ 🎥 via @N12News
.@AnshelPfeffer who wrote the unofficial & very enlightening biography of ‘Bibi’ is in the courtroom and says the chants from @netanyahu supporters are clearly audible inside.
A day in court for ‘Bibi’ - a moment @netanyahu tried so hard to avoid. news.sky.com/story/benjamin…
.@AnshelPfeffer, author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life & Times of Netanyahu told me: “We saw a very telling moment. For 50 minutes it was the judges & prosecutors in charge. This was a v different @netanyahu sitting on his own doing what he was told. It was a metamorphosis for him.”
🎥 The story of a day @netanyahu wanted to avoid. Defiance and jubilance from his supporters; anger and chants of ‘Crime Minister’ from his detractors.
