In his first court appearance on corruption charges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear his clear differences with former President Barack Obama over Iran and a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Netanyahu reflected on his interactions with the United States during the early years of the Obama administration, saying, “President Obama made it clear to me that U.S. policy was in stark contrast to the way I believed.''
“He saw Iran as an opportunity rather than a threat, and he thought it was vitally important that we return to the front of '67 and establish a Palestinian state here.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu took the witness stand for about four hours in Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday morning. The trial was moved from Jerusalem for undisclosed security reasons and convened in an underground courtroom, Reuters reported. He recalled his rocky relationship with Obama, how the two could not see eye to eye on the appropriate course of action toward the Palestinians.
“We had to face great pressure to establish a Palestinian state,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said. ”[Obama] When he asked for it at the first meeting, he said, “Don't build a single brick across the Green Line.” I answered: “Half of Jerusalem is beyond the Green Line. For example, the Giro area. President Obama said, “So is the Giro.” He called for a total freeze on construction and massive pressure. I had to deal with this and deflect it, but it wasn't a small problem. ”
In his first court appearance on corruption charges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear his clear differences with former President Barack Obama over Iran and a Palestinian state. (Israel Government Press Office, via AP)
Prime Minister Netanyahu to testify in corruption trial amid multiple disputes
Prime Minister Netanyahu was mindful of his differences with then-Secretary of State John Kerry, who had urged Israeli forces to withdraw from Judea and Samaria.
“Mr. Kerry explained to me that my concerns about leaving the security of Judea and Samaria in the hands of the Palestinian military were unfounded because the Americans were training the Palestinian army and we could leave. ”
He also said that President Obama had advised Israel to take a cue from U.S. policy in Afghanistan, and that Netanyahu had predicted that the policy would not age well.
“Obama proposed a secret visit to Afghanistan to see how the U.S. military was training local troops. I told him that the moment you leave Afghanistan, these We said the military would collapse under the Islamist forces, and that's exactly what happened.”
The corruption trial stems from a 2019 indictment on charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud, and is being held against the backdrop of Israel's war with Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu must appear in court three times a week while the trial continues.
“President Obama has made it clear to me that U.S. policy will suddenly change in a direction that is contrary to what I believed,” Netanyahu said. (White House)
Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that President Obama had offered him a secret visit to Afghanistan. (Courtesy of Simon & Schuster)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 75, became the first sitting prime minister to be indicted for a crime.
The charges include accepting gifts from Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in return for promoting interests, and failing to report attempted bribery from the newspaper Yediot Aharonot. Publisher Arnon Moses wants Prime Minister Netanyahu to pass a bill that would outlaw free newspapers, and in exchange he has offered favorable coverage to Netanyahu and Shaul, owner of Israeli communications conglomerate Bezeq. – Elovitch accepted Prime Minister Netanyahu's offer in return for favorable media coverage. Favorable regulatory changes.
ICC rejects Israel's appeal, issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he was not in power for personal gain, directly responding to allegations that he had asked for continued supplies of luxury goods such as champagne and cigars.
“That's a complete lie,” he said. “I work 17-18 hours a day… 24-hour shifts until midnight. I hardly have time to see my family. I don't see my children. That's a big price to pay,” Netanyahu said, adding that precious He added that he spends his free time reading books on history and economics.
The Prime Minister argued that if he had been concerned about improving media coverage, he could have moved toward granting Palestinian statehood.
“If I had wanted enough coverage, all I would have had to do was signal towards a two-state solution…If I had moved two steps to the left, I would have heard “I would have been exposed,” he said.
The court has allowed Prime Minister Netanyahu to delay his testimony throughout the 14-month war in Gaza, but ruled last week that he must begin testifying. In the lead-up to his trial date, Prime Minister Netanyahu labeled the charges against him a witch hunt and slammed law enforcement and the media.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The real threat to Israel's democracy is not posed by the people's elected representatives, but by an extreme political investigation that refuses to accept the voters' choice and is unacceptable in any political investigation.” “democracy is being brought about by some law enforcement officials who are trying to carry out a coup,” he said in a statement Thursday.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is on trial for allegedly using political power to improve media coverage. Prime Minister Netanyahu's defense: The coverage was not positive, but hostile, and I am a citizen of Netanyahu's interests. It was not an attempt to change the reporting, but rather a national interest. “He did not try to change the coverage for his own benefit.” He criticized Israel for countering Obama's hostile stance,” Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel's Channel 12, told Fox News Digital. spoke about his testimony.
