Netanyahu vows to challenge 'absurd' corruption charges

Israeli PM takes the stand in his trial, calls himself a dedicated leader & a defender of Israel's interests

- AGENCIES

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised defiantly on Tuesday to knock down corruption allegations against him as he began testifying in his long-running trial, becoming the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant.

The testimony is another low point for Israel's longest-serving leader, who also faces an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Israel's war in Gaza.

In his opening testimony in a packed Tel Aviv courtroom, Netanyahu argued that he was a dedicated leader and a defender of Israel's interests, swatting away the charges against him as a "drop in the sea" compared to the challenges he has faced protecting his country.

But the charges have torn open divisions in Israel and complicated Netanyahu's legacy, which has also been tainted by the war in Gaza and the growing international isolation Israel faces because of it.