Trial resumes: the charges against Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued to give testimony on Tuesday in the cross-examination phase of the criminal cases against him at the Tel Aviv District Court.

The session will begin behind closed doors, after being postponed following an attack in Jerusalem that killed six Israelis and in which the assailants were killed.

What charges is Netanyahu facing?

In Case 1000 (the gifts case), Netanyahu is accused of receiving benefits worth about 700,000 shekels from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer. Most of the gifts were cigars, cases of champagne and jewelry.

In addition, it is alleged that Netanyahu acted in Milchan’s interests in three matters the businessman asked him to intervene in: contacting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to extend the businessman’s visa, contacting Finance Minister Yair Lapid to extend a tax exemption for returning residents, and working to advance the merger of the companies “Keshet” and ”Reshet” — at Milchan’s request.

According to the Israeli prosecution, these actions harmed the image of the public service and public trust in it. In this case, Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust.

Case 2000 (the Netanyahu-Mozes case) involves conversations between Netanyahu and Noni Mozes, publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth. It is alleged that the two discussed improving the prime minister’s coverage in the Yedioth group in exchange for restrictions on its main rival, the newspaper “Israel Hayom”.

The prosecution concluded that Mozes proposed the deal and is therefore charged with offering a bribe. It also concluded that Netanyahu did not intend to complete a bribery deal but continued the talks with Mozes to improve his coverage in the Yedioth group, and took certain steps to achieve that. In this case, Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust.

Noni Mozes, publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth group and editor-in-chief of the paper, is accused of offering a bribe in Case 2000.

Case 4000 (the Bezeq-Walla case), the most serious case against the prime minister, concerns regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of shekels that Netanyahu is alleged to have granted to Elovitch. In return, the indictment alleges, Elovitch acted to influence coverage on the Walla website which he controlled. In that case, Netanyahu is accused of bribery. Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of the Eurocom group through which he controlled several public companies, including the Bezeq and Walla groups, together with his wife Iris Elovitch, are accused of offering bribes and obstructing legal proceedings in Case 4000.