Netanyahu’s corruption case testimony concludes after 98 hearings

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial testimony concluded Wednesday after 98 court hearings spanning one-and-a-half years, with the Israeli premier describing the proceedings as “10 years of hell,” Anadolu reports.

Corruption allegations against Netanyahu first surfaced publicly in 2016 before then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed formal indictments against him in November 2019.

He faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three major corruption cases known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000.

Case 1000 centers on allegations that Netanyahu and members of his family received expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for favors.

Case 4000 alleges that Netanyahu granted regulatory advantages to businessman Shaul Elovitch, former owner of the Walla news website and Bezeq telecommunications company, in exchange for positive media coverage for himself and his family.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu completed his testimony Wednesday after 98 hearings held over approximately 18 months.

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“After 10 years of hell, as I try to lead this country facing perhaps the greatest challenges we currently have, to see this vile, false, malicious thing that is actually aimed not only at harming individual rights but also at the public’s right to choose me as leader,” Netanyahu told the judges as he concluded his testimony, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

He also said the proceedings amounted to “hunting people in a net in a blatant and distorted manner,” urging the court to “reach the truth and justice.”

The daily reported that Netanyahu’s testimony concluded in the fortified courtroom of the Tel Aviv District Court, where numerous hearings were shortened, postponed or canceled during the proceedings.

The court will move into the closing-arguments phase, with judges set to grant both sides several months to submit legal summaries before drafting a verdict.

On June 16, prosecutors completed their cross-examination of Netanyahu after nearly a year of questioning. Four additional hearings were later held as part of what Israeli legal procedure describes as supplementary examination.

Cross-examination allows opposing counsel to challenge a witness’s testimony and test its credibility, while supplementary questioning gives defense attorneys an opportunity to clarify previous answers and address issues that may have emerged during prosecution questioning.

Alongside the domestic corruption proceedings, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu since 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza.