Netanyahu loses temper in court, slams table; judge rebukes him

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
12 Mar 2025 13:31
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Netanyahu, visibly agitated, accused prosecutors of living in an “alternate universe” and claimed they had “put me through hell.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (AP)

In yet another theatrical display at his corruption trial, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put on a performance that could rival the best courtroom dramas. On the 17th day of his testimony, Netanyahu’s frustration boiled over as he pounded on the table, demanding more time to "defend himself" against what he called "absurd allegations".

His impassioned outburst earned him a stern rebuke from Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who had to remind Netanyahu to lower his voice.

Between grand proclamations of injustice and dramatic hand gestures, Netanyahu accused prosecutors of living in an "alternate universe" and lamented that they had "put me through hell." As he raged about investigators’ "malicious recklessness", one couldn’t help but wonder if the real recklessness was unfolding right there in the courtroom—one table slam at a time.

Netanyahu also lashed out at prosecutors, accusing them of being disconnected from reality. "They live in an alternate universe," he declared, adding, "You have put me through hell."

At the Tel Aviv District Court, Netanyahu was questioned by his lawyer, Amit Hadad, about the 46th instance on a list of over 300 alleged attempts by him or his aides to influence coverage on the Walla news site. According to the indictment in Case 4000, these incidents were part of a bribery scheme in which Netanyahu supposedly granted regulatory favors to Walla’s owner in exchange for favorable media coverage.

The specific item in question involved a request for Walla to publish a story about the Netanyahu family’s visit to the grave of his late brother, Yoni, "who was killed in the 1976 Operation Entebbe rescue mission."

Netanyahu denied personal involvement, stating, "I wasn’t involved in the request. This isn’t a demand; it borders on a plea."

Frustration mounted when the judges urged Netanyahu to speed up his responses and skip certain allegations. He objected, arguing that the trial had dragged on for a decade and that he deserved more time to "defend" himself.

Addressing Judge Friedman-Feldman directly, Netanyahu insisted, "I usually am a very restrained person, but there is an unacceptable thing here. They took our lives and ruined them. I am carrying out my duties as prime minister at this time. I come here twice a week. But I deserve the right to shatter these absurd [allegations] and show everything is based on a complete lie." He further accused investigators of "malicious recklessness", claiming they failed to properly verify allegations or question him about certain claims. "This cannot pass quietly," he said.

During this exchange, Netanyahu repeatedly slammed the table, leading the judge to reprimand him. Shortly afterward, he was handed an envelope, read its contents, and requested a break, which was granted.

Majority of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign over October 7

A new poll by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) has found that nearly three-quarters of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should take responsibility for October 7's Operation Al Aqsa Flood and resign.

The survey, released on Sunday, indicates growing public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s leadership amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

According to the IDI’s February Israeli Voice Index, 48% of respondents believe Netanyahu should step down immediately, while 24.5% say he should resign after the war. An additional 14.5% believe he should take responsibility without resigning, while only 10% think he should neither take responsibility nor step down. Overall, 87% of Israelis believe Netanyahu bears responsibility for October 7, regardless of whether he resigns.

The poll revealed political and demographic divisions on the issue. While 45% of Jewish respondents support Netanyahu’s immediate resignation, 59% of Arab respondents share the same view.

Among ideological groups, 83.5% of left-wing Israelis and 69% of centrist voters favor his immediate resignation, compared to just 25.5% of right-wing voters.