Israeli Journalist Explains Bombshell Accusation Against Netanyahu’s Wife And How PM Is Working ‘To Get Rid’ of His Trial
MSNBC anchor Katie Phang spoke to Israeli journalist Noga Tarnopolsky this week about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing trial in Israel and the latest accusations against his wife, Sara.
“It’s not just Netanyahu’s defense team that’s being accused of dragging this out in court. Some breaking news in Israel tonight. The attorney general’s office is calling for an investigation into accusations that Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, sought to intimidate a witness and interfere in the corruption case against her husband. What more can you share with our viewers?” Phang began.
“Yes, this is one of these trials that at this point seems like a fixture in the Israeli political constellation. The new twist is what you just mentioned today, that the attorney general, who is Israel’s top judiciary official, ordered the police to begin an investigation into accusations made principally in an investigative TV program that Mrs. Netanyahu harassed witnesses and in otherwise, in other ways attempted to intervene in her husband’s trial, which, as you said, is ongoing,” Tarnopolsky began, adding:
The judge’s comments came because it really does seem that Netanyahu’s top defense strategy appears to be delay, delay, delay. And the latest iteration of this was his attorney’s announcement that they were going to be bringing witnesses in to discuss each one of something like 135 footnoted mentions of different media cases from more than ten years ago. And so at that pace, Netanyahu’s trial would simply never end. And that’s what they’re trying to fight against.
“You know, how is this trial, as you say, which is just a fixture and as I noted, it’s been going on for years now. How is this trial playing out, though, in the court of public opinion against the backdrop of the war with Hamas?” Phang followed up.
“It’s a very good question. For a significant chunk of these 14 months of the war with Hamas. Everyone tried to pretend the trial wasn’t happening,” Tarnopolsky replied, adding:
It seemed incidental, and Netanyahu really took advantage of that period of time in which he could use emergency measures and the war to just keep saying this is not an appropriate time. Let’s push it down. Push it down. His justice minister obviously gave him a helping hand, but now it’s back. And it’s the sort of fight among public opinion.
For one, Israelis just aren’t paying that much attention to Netanyahu, which is part of what he wanted right there. Busy with their neighbors’ kids dying in battle with Yemen launched missiles landing in their neighborhood schools. It’s a very different period of time. And Netanyahu’s tactic in terms of public opinion has been to make everything look ridiculous. He keeps telling the judges you quoted, this is absurd. How could I be made to waste all this time. All of these tactics, the delaying tactics, the mocking, the judiciary, even telling the judges at one point, you know, you guys just don’t know what a prime minister’s life is like, you know, almost implying that the entire system is idiotic.
It’s unclear if this will help him eventually or not. But what we now know, because Netanyahu attempted to begin basically a civilian coup d’etat in January 23rd, these plans were interrupted by major, major protest. Israel, then the war. But that plan is back on and it’s really, really advancing intensely now. So it does appear as difficult as it is to say this, that Netanyahu is planning something other than a clear judicial outcome. It really does appear that he still believes as he pushes this far along, he’s just not going to ever have to answer to justice because he might be able to get rid of his entire trial.
Watch above via MSNBC.
