Netanyahu insists no regulatory acts were committed on Milchan’s behalf, no exceptional treatment

Allegedly, the prime minister received thousands of dollars worth of champagne and cigars from Milchan and from Australian billionaire James Packer, who was a friend to both. Netanyahu, per the indictment, pushed for legislative and regulatory changes that would have been beneficial to Milchan during that time, while being in a prime position of power to do so. The prime minister was charged with fraud and breach of trust.

Per the indictment, Netanyahu, among other acts, connected Milchan to the then-director-general of the Communications Ministry, Shlomo Filber, regarding a hopeful media company merger between Reshet and Keshet.

Prosecution representative attorney Yehonatan Tadmor pressed the prime minister on what he categorized as “specialized treatment” given by Filber to Milchan, allegedly under instruction from Netanyahu.

The treatment, per the indictment, followed a fateful late-night meeting in June 2015, at around 11 p.m. Present were the two couples: the Netanyahus and the Milchans.

Tadmor proceeded to confront Netanyahu with statements from Filber's testimony, which the prime minister consistently denied on Wednesday.

Netanyahu explained that Filber's treatment of Milchan was his standard, not exceptional. Tadmor pointed out that Filber testified that he received specialized instructions from Netanyahu regarding Milchan, which Netanyahu denied on the stand.

“I clarified to Milchan that there would be no regulatory changes,” Netanyahu said, explaining that “people always want to know what the landscape is, what they might invest in.”

The merger eventually fell, as did Milchan’s interest. Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he understood that “it [the communication, the business flow between Milchan and the companies] was stuck.” This was regarding a meeting between Milchan, Filber, and Zeev Feldman, Milchan’s accountant, at one of Milchan’s properties at Beit Yannai.

“These meetings were not rare,” emphasized Netanyahu, “everyone who attended this meeting is someone who was busy beyond belief; meetings took place at late hours all of the time.” Tadmor stood on the location of it: the home of a private business owner.

He continued, emphasizing that several meetings took place, not just one, including some that Netanyahu himself was present in, and asked him to explain. The prime minister said his goal there was only to place Filber in an advisory position, nothing more.

Tadmor stood on Netanyahu’s involvement, especially considering that the prime minister previously said that he had already clarified to Milchan that the communications ministry wouldn’t get involved; “could these meetings have happened without you?” he asked. Netanyahu said on Wednesday, “If I could help move it along, why wouldn’t I?”

At about 11 a.m., about an hour before his testimony was scheduled to terminate, Netanyahu received a sealed envelope. Ohana left with him. He later returned, but only for a short time before leaving again for a phone call.

During this impromptu break, shouting began against the prime minister from the audience, blaming him for the continued suffering of their loved ones, those slain, and those still held by Hamas in captivity in Gaza.

When matters calmed and Netanyahu returned to the courtroom, along with the judges, he said, “What has happened is not what will be” in terms of the “incitement” against him, and that “reality has changed - this demands a different sort of treatment.” The hearing ended shortly after.

Once Netanyahu left, the judges heard the testimony of Dubi Sherzer, as part of the witnesses being presented by the defense during cross-examination. Around 2020, Shertzer, a former official in the Justice Ministry's Police Investigative Department (PID), had claimed that he complained to his superiors about alleged abusive treatment towards Netanyahu aide-turned state's witness Nir Hefetz, especially during his interrogation.

A document revealed at the time by Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal - the contents of which had been initially denied by the prosecution - gave weight to conflicts about the treatment of Hefetz.

Hefetz was critical for building the prosecution's case against the prime minister, particularly the media bribery aspects of Case 4000, which carries the heaviest charges out of the three levied against Netanyahu.

Likud MK Moshe Saada, whose testimony the judges have been hearing once a week in Jerusalem for weeks now, was deputy PID head at the time.

Netanyahu is due to fly to the US next week for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is slated to speak. The hearings in his case are scheduled to resume on Monday, September 29, after the Rosh Hashanah holiday.