NPR - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu takes the witness stand today in his corruption trial. It’s the first time in the country’s history that a sitting prime minister is testifying as a defendant in court. Netanyahu is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases. He will testify three days a week for six hours a day for many weeks.
Netanyahu is testifying in an underground fortified courtroom for security reasons as the country is in the middle of a war, says NPR’s Daniel Estrin, who is one floor above him in Tel Aviv. Police started investigating Netanyahu in 2016, and in a press conference last night, Netanyahu said he’s been waiting eight years for this day to be able to present the truth. Netanyahu is accused of using his influence to help media figures’ business interests. In exchange, he allegedly received tens of thousands of dollars worth of champagne and cigars. In the two other cases, he’s accused of allegedly helping media moguls with their business interests in order to work out deals for flattering news coverage in their outlets. Netanyahu has denied these allegations.
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