Netanyahu Says Prosecutors Trapped Him in Court Testimony

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in court that the prosecution presented him with misleading information during his re-examination, which he claimed caused him to give contradictory answers in cross-examination. “They present me with a false picture, mislead me and make me give two answers to the court,” he said. “They set a trap for me, they set a snare, and I fall into it.”

Netanyahu said one example involved a meeting with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes, which he said never took place, but that the way it was presented led him to confirm it had happened. He said another example concerned the print run of the weekend edition of Israel Hayom.

His lawyer, Amit Hadad, also attacked the prosecution’s conduct and argued that Netanyahu relied on the information shown to him during questioning. The prosecution rejected those claims and said no misleading information had been presented.

Netanyahu responded, “I enjoy the language laundering, they simply lied here brazenly.” The exchange took place during a dramatic court session, with the dispute centered on whether the prosecution’s presentation of evidence led Netanyahu into inconsistent testimony.