Netanyahu Ends Cross-Examination With Fierce Attack on Prosecutors in Case 2000

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday completed a year-long cross-examination in his trial, after prosecutor Adv. Yoni Tadmor told the judges he had no further questions. The hearing ended one of the most dramatic stretches in the Israeli legal system, and despite a request from Netanyahu’s defense team to shorten the session the day before, the judges kept it running until its planned end.

The final day was dominated by a sharp confrontation over Case 2000, which centers on Netanyahu’s contacts with Arnon (Noni) Mozes, the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth. Netanyahu accused the prosecution of a dangerous legal precedent and said, “You invented a retroactive offense.” He argued that if then deputy attorney general Raz Nizri had said at the time there was no offense, the prosecution could not now claim otherwise. He added, “Who ever thought that relations between a politician and the media are a criminal offense? You made that up. You are trying to create a retroactive offense.”

When judges asked about the “threats” or “blackmail” he felt from Mozes, Netanyahu said this was a known journalistic practice. “They give you front-page stories or threaten you, that is the practice of all journalists,” he said, adding that he wanted to record that Mozes was “meddling” in the matter. Tadmor then confronted him with what the prosecution sees as a major change in his account, citing earlier police interrogations in which Netanyahu said he was “buying time” to prepare for the battle over the upcoming election and how to fight Mozes.

Tadmor pressed Netanyahu on whether Yedioth Ahronoth coverage had occupied him, and Netanyahu replied that it had not, insisting his focus was on saving Yisrael Hayom and reaching a softened version of the law. He also said the issue was not “coverage” but “smears” against his family, calling them beyond the pale. The prosecution further quoted him as saying he wanted to “lower the flames,” used the phrase “You keep your friends close and your enemy closer,” and described the situation as a “cold war” rather than a hot one.

With the cross-examination finished, the case is expected to move to a renewed examination by the defense, followed by summations. In parallel, talks continue between Netanyahu’s representatives and President Isaac Herzog over a possible pardon or plea deal, but Herzog has frozen handling of the request after Netanyahu did not respond to his approaches. The judges are now expected to set the timetable for the next stages, and the trial is likely to continue for many more months before a final verdict.