Netanyahu testifies on corruption charges in 2nd day in court
'Everyone does it,' Benjamin Netanyahu said about his ties with Shaul Elovitch – 'The tendency to want positive coverage is natural and widespread'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his second day of testimony in court over several corruption allegations on Wednesday, beginning at noon.
The discussions started with a focus on Case 4000, which investigates Netanyahu's ties with Walla news chairman Shaul Elovitch. From there, Netanyahu continued his remarks about his ties to other media owners, media moguls, and owners of media outlets.
"Everyone does it," Netanyahu said about his ties with Elovitch. "It is common among all politicians. The tendency to want positive coverage is natural and widespread. The media influences public opinion, and this is a necessary connection."
According to the allegations, Netanyahu would have agreed to lower taxes on Bezeq, a telecommunications company Elovitch also owns, for positive coverage in Walla.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu's testimony began in the Tel Aviv District Court, during which he addressed his ties with senior figures in the media world, with the couple Iris and Shaul Elovitch, and the diversity of the media market. Lawmakers allied with Netanyahu requested to postpone the testimony because of a vote being held in Jerusalem, in Israel's parliament the Knesset. These requests were rejected by the Attorney General's Office.