Israel’s Netanyahu faces key witness in court

Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court on Monday to face a key prosecution witness in his corruption trial.

Netanyahu, who served as prime minister for 12 years until June, has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery and breach of trust.

He was also charged with fraud in cases that centre on alleged regulatory favours he awarded to media tycoons in return for positive press coverage and receipt of gifts, including cigars and champagne.

Netanyahu’s former spokesman and close adviser, Nir Hefetz appeared at the Jerusalem District courtroom to turn state’s witness against the country’s first premier to be criminally charged while still in office.

Hefetz told the court that “Netanyahu spends at least as much as his time on media as he spends on security matters, including on matters an outsider would consider nonsense.”

Netanyahu, 72, is not required to attend the trial hearings and he has made few court appearances.

He made no comment to reporters as slogans shouted outside in the street by a cluster of his supporters wafted into the courtroom who faced off with a small group of anti-Netanyahu protesters.

Netanyahu’s trial has been a polarising issue for Israelis. His loyal supporters bemoan it as a left-wing witch-hunt that targeted a popular right-wing leader.

His staunch critics also hail it as the triumph of law over grave government corruption that had plunged Israel into two years of political turmoil.

After four inconclusive elections, Netanyahu’s former right-wing ally Naftali Bennett in June unseated Israel’s longest-serving leader by forming a patchwork coalition government of rightist, centrist, left-wing and Muslim Arab parties.