Key State Witness Ends Testimony in Netanyahu Trial

Nir Hefetz ended his testimony in the corruption trial against former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the culmination of five weeks and seventeen hearings.

Hefetz, a former confidant of Netanyahu and a key state witness, said it was hard for him to testify against his former boss.

“I feel relief after five weeks on the podium, in front of a series of the most senior lawyers in the country,” Hefetz told reporters.

“This is it. I hope I have managed to bring my humble angle to the pursuit of the truth.”

Hefetz continued, “It was an almost impossible ordeal to stand in such a trial against Netanyahu.

“It was very difficult mentally and emotionally. I only went with the truth. I hope I’m saying goodbye to the security guards for the rest of my life.”

Hefetz stated that he prefers not to discuss his testimony publicly.

Netanyahu faces fraud, breach of trust, and bribery charges in three separate cases: Case 1000, Case 2000, and Case 4000.

The hearing on Wednesday related to Case 2000, where it is alleged that Netanyahu offered to intercede into the affairs of one newspaper to give commercial benefits to its competitor.

Hefetz claimed that the battle between the competing newspapers was “actually only about Netanyahu, about his continued leadership.

“The person who initiated and advanced this battle… was Netanyahu. It could have ended or escalated in accordance with his wish.”