Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to take the stand Tuesday in his own defense in a criminal trial that his critics say is essential to the rule of law. claims that it is a political prosecution.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's lawyers asked for additional time to prepare his testimony, given the urgency of Israel's ongoing war on several fronts. But the court refused, and Netanyahu will be on the stand in the coming weeks.
The prime minister has been charged with several crimes related to corruption allegations. But the truth is mostly a farce. In one case, Netanyahu has been accused of soliciting positive media coverage from a media company that had sought tax and regulatory relief. Although Prime Minister Netanyahu did not receive positive press coverage, the company certainly got the break it was looking for – as did Caroline Glick. noticedwhich also served the public interest and created better internet access.
In another incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu was similarly accused of trying to get positive coverage in one newspaper if he would block another. Israel Hayomfree newspaper. Again, he did not receive positive press coverage. Moreover, rather than restricting press freedom, he actually brought down the government. Israel Hayom. In yet another incident, Netanyahu is accused of extending amnesty for repatriated Israeli property in exchange for gifts such as cigars.
The problem, as Glick points out, is that “Prime Minister Netanyahu's positions reflect the same economic positions he has held for decades.” Oddly enough, opposition leader Yair Lapid, a key prosecution witness, is sounding the alarm.
The case is unfolding against the backdrop of new allegations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aides leaked military secrets to the press. The secret explained Hamas' atrocities against Israeli hostages and showed how Hamas deliberately used propaganda to provoke Israeli dissidents into protesting against Netanyahu. As in previous cases, it is clear that the police are exerting maximum pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu's inner circle to force them to testify against him.
Unlike the U.S. Department of Justice, which has a standard policy of not prosecuting presidents while they are president, Israel's Justice Department has pursued Netanyahu relentlessly, even though the charges are weak. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's supporters have accused Israeli law enforcement and the “deep state” of trying to force him to step down.
The criminal case has dominated Israeli politics for six months, yet Israeli voters continue to re-elect Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
