PM enters judges' chambers with defense, prosecution lawyers

Netanyahu’s first cross-examination in over two months cut short hours early

PM claims authorities intimidated Shlomo Filber into testifying against him, says Bezeq tycoon Elovitch never complained to him about telecom matters, contradicting 2018 police statement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday testified for the first time in over two months due to the Iran war, with the session ending two hours earlier than scheduled.

In an unusual moment, Netanyahu joined prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh and defense lawyers Amit Hadad and Jack Chen in the judges’ chambers before the hearing began. It wasn’t clear what was discussed during the meeting.

The cross-examination ended at 2 p.m., instead of at 4 p.m. as had been expected. The judges did not explain the reason for granting the request to end the hearing early, but the decision was made after the premier received a message in an envelope and briefly exited the courtroom.

The testimony picked up from where the premier left off during his last hearing on February 24, and focused on the details surrounding an alleged 2015 meeting with Shlomo Filber, the director-general of the Communications Ministry at the time.

Filber claimed that the prime minister instructed him at the meeting to actively make decisions that would financially benefit Shaul Elovitch, the then-controlling shareholder of the Bezeq telecom company, in exchange for positive coverage from the Bezeq-owned Walla news site.

During the hearing, Netanyahu decried what he alleged was the law enforcement authorities’ intimidation of Filber, who became a key state witness in the trial, to force him to give false testimony.

“They threatened to destroy his family, they threatened his wife and children,” he said, claiming that the actions “should have shocked the legal authorities … in a democratic country.”

After his arrest in 2018, Filber agreed to become a state witness and testified against the prime minister.

The prosecution alleges Netanyahu ordered Filber to make policy decisions benefiting Elovitch as part of an illicit quid pro quo agreement between the tycoon and the prime minister.

Under cross-examination in court, however, Filber contradicted his original testimony, saying Netanyahu had not given him any instructions to benefit Bezeq, before reversing course again and telling the court that his original testimony was accurate.

The State Attorney’s Office has sought to revoke the state witness agreement made with Filber, potentially exposing him to prosecution.

Filber has previously accused police interrogators of trying to manipulate him during their investigation.

During the examination on Tuesday, prosecutor Tirosh asked the premier if Elovitch had ever complained to him over issues regarding telecommunication services technologies, to which the prime minister answered no. Tirosh pointed out that the answer contradicted testimony he gave to police in 2018, when he answered that he didn’t remember.

“How is it that what you don’t remember in 2018 turned into an unequivocal no?” Tirosh asked.

“There is an attempt here by the investigators to goad me into saying things; they are trying to play a trick on me,” Netanyahu responded.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, and Likud MKs Tali Gotliv and Tsega Melaku came to support Netanyahu in the courtroom audience.

After Gotliv interrupted the hearing several times, Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman responded: “Member of Knesset, you want to give messages to the lawyers? Do it in writing so we don’t hear anyone.”

The trial had initially been set to resume on Monday, but the session was canceled at the last minute due to security concerns submitted to the court by Netanyahu’s lawyer Hadad.

Netanyahu has testified 80 times so far, and is almost done being cross-examined on Case 4000, involving allegations that he authorized regulatory decisions that financially benefited telecommunications mogul Shaul Elovitch by hundreds of millions of shekels.

During testimony in court, Netanyahu has strongly denied the existence of any agreement between himself and Elovitch, and argued vehemently that Walla did not give him positive media coverage.

According to prosecutors’ assessments, cited by the Haaretz daily, Netanyahu has four to eight more sessions left regarding Case 2000, involving a suspected quid pro quo arrangement between himself and Arnon Mozes, publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The resumption of hearings comes in the shadow of a statement by President Isaac Herzog on Sunday rebuffing, at least for the time being, the prospect of granting Netanyahu a pardon, despite an official request from the prime minister and heavy pressure from US President Donald Trump. On Monday evening, Herzog invited representatives of the prosecution and Netanyahu’s defense for a discussion of the matter at his official residence.

Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister to go on trial in Israel. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that the cases against him — concerning allegations that he traded political favors for gifts and favorable press coverage — are a witch hunt and a political coup attempt fabricated by his opponents.