Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the idea of a plea bargain in an interview on Sunday shortly after his trial on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust opened in Jerusalem.
Hundreds of his supporters demonstrated noisily outside the court house as he became the first serving Israeli premier to go on trial just a week after his new government was sworn into office.
In an interview with Channel 20, Mr Netanyhau, who has led the country for 11 years, said, “Under no circumstances will I agree to a plea deal.”
The Likud leader has repeatedly denounced the accusations against him as a political witchhunt and an attempted coup.
Mr Netanyahu told Channel 20, according to Israel Hayom International: “The last election was an expression of gross no-confidence in those who set me up. They are unable to beat me in an election so they do something else.”
It followed his defiant remarks in a televised statement shortly before he entered court, where he said, “Elements in the police and State Attorney’s Office banded together with left-wing journalists… to fabricate baseless cases against me. The goal is to oust a strong right-wing prime minister and to banish the right-wing camp from leadership of the country for many years.”
The start of the trial had been delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak but after a brief afternoon session Mr Netanyahu is unlikely to reappear as the three judges deal with procedural matters.
Mr Netanyahu is accused of accepting expensive gifts like cigars from businessmen: offering to help newspaper Yediot Ahronot improve its circulation in return for favourable coverage; and promoting regulation that benefited Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in Israeli telecommunciations giant Bezeq, in exchange for positive coverage on the website Mr Elovitch owns, Walla.
Even if convicted, he would not be compelled to stand down until the completion of the appeals process.
Under his government coalition deal with the Blue and White party, he is due to hand over the premiership to its leader Benny Gantz in 18 months.
.”
