Netanyahu erupts in court as prosecutors press him on Case 2000 contradictions

In a dramatic session at the District Court on Tuesday, the prosecution confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with what it said were major inconsistencies in his testimony in Case 2000, the case centered on contacts with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes. Netanyahu, at the end of his cross-examination, lashed out at the prosecutors and accused them of inventing an offense and turning the case into political persecution.

Netanyahu argued that relationships between politicians and the media were not a crime and said the investigation amounted to retroactive criminalization. When asked about alleged threats or extortion from Mozes, he said that offering front-page coverage or applying pressure was a common journalistic practice. He also insisted that his goal was to protect Israel Hayom and reach a softer version of the law tied to the paper, not to focus on the coverage in Yedioth Ahronoth.

Prosecutor Yoni Tadmor then read from police testimony in which Netanyahu had said he was "buying time," fighting back in the coming election campaign, and trying to lower the flames. Tadmor pressed him on whether this meant the real issue was the coverage of him and his family. Netanyahu rejected that framing, calling it "defamation" and saying the reporting was beyond the pale. He also said, "You keep your friends close and your enemy closer," describing the atmosphere as a cold war rather than a hot one.

The confrontation escalated when Tadmor said the recordings Netanyahu made with Mozes contained a clear bribery offer and that Netanyahu did not reject it publicly. Netanyahu shouted that the prosecution was using terror tactics, declaring, "You will spend the rest of your lives in court," and comparing the case to a police state and the Stasi. Later, prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh tried to connect Case 2000 to Case 4000, arguing that in both cases Netanyahu acted because of media coverage. Netanyahu rejected the comparison, saying Mozes had political power and was threatening his coalition, while he was fighting to stop the closure of Israel Hayom.