Hounded for hawkish security policies: Israeli PM at graft trial

He is testifying at the same time Israel is engaged in a war in Gaza and facing new threats posed by regional turmoil, including in Syria

- Reuters

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial, saying he was being hounded for his hawkish security policies.

Netanyahu, 75, is Israel's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime.

Last week, judges ruled that Netanyahu, indicted in 2019, must testify three times a week, forcing the long-time Israeli leader to juggle between the courtroom and the war room at Israel's defense ministry, minutes away from the courthouse.

He took the stand for about four hours and will resume testifying on Wednesday. Twice his military secretary handed him written messages, the first time requiring a recess and underscoring his having to do double duty as prime minister.

The leader of the right-wing Likud party, Netanyahu, assailed the Israeli media for what he called its leftist stance and accused journalists of having hounded him for years because his policies did not align with a push for a Palestinian state.