The prosecution on Tuesday concluded its cross-examination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the ongoing corruption trial, bringing nearly a year of questioning to an end. Representatives of Arnon (Noni) Mozes, a defendant in Case 2000 and the publisher of Ynet, are expected to begin questioning Netanyahu on Wednesday.

Tensions erupted during Tuesday’s hearing when prosecutor Yehonatan Tadmor confronted Netanyahu over what prosecutors said were changes in his account of conversations with Mozes. Netanyahu repeatedly raised his voice during the exchange and did not comply with several requests from the judges to lower his tone.

At one point, Netanyahu accused investigators of unfairly targeting him, claiming authorities had used spyware and violated the law as part of an effort to bring down a sitting prime minister. Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman attempted to calm the proceedings, but Netanyahu continued his criticism of the investigation, describing it as politically motivated.

Much of the hearing focused on Netanyahu’s conversations with Mozes regarding the so-called Israel Hayom Law. Netanyahu testified that his primary concern was protecting Israel Hayom and exploring whether an understanding could be reached regarding legislation affecting the newspaper.

When questioned about previous statements suggesting he was buying time ahead of an election campaign, Netanyahu said it was legitimate to think strategically before a political battle. He denied misleading Mozes, insisting that he hoped to reach an agreement on a softened version of the legislation that would not advance during the parliamentary recess but could potentially move forward after the elections.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)