By Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Mohammad Sio
JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) – An Israeli father verbally attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his corruption trial session on Wednesday, holding him responsible for the events of October 2023.
“There will be a state commission of inquiry,” Yoram Yehudai, the father of Ron, who was killed in the Oct. 7 events, said during Netanyahu’s testimony, referring to an independent investigation commission the premier has repeatedly rejected in order to avoid accountability for security and intelligence failures.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu continued testifying at the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday in Case 1000, one of three corruption charges he faces.
Case 1000 involves accusations that Netanyahu and his family received expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favors.
“I asked to meet you, and you refused,” Yehudai stood up and shouted during the trial. “There will be a state inquiry, do you understand?”
Court security then escorted the Israeli father out of the room, the channel said.
Netanyahu opposes establishing a full state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023 failures and instead supports a limited, politically appointed panel with narrower authority.
As in previous hearings, Netanyahu requested a one-hour break “to go to the Ministry of Defense,” which is located near the courthouse, Channel 12 said.
Netanyahu told the judges he could explain the reason “behind closed doors,” and the court approved the request.
On Tuesday, the prime minister also asked to end his questioning early, citing an “important political meeting,” according to the daily Israel Hayom.
Netanyahu has repeatedly avoided court appearances in recent years, citing travel, security events or what he calls urgent wartime responsibilities.
He is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases that could carry prison time if convicted. Israel’s attorney general filed the indictments in November 2019.
In addition to Case 1000, Netanyahu is accused in Case 2000 of negotiating with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes for favorable media coverage, and in Case 4000 of giving regulatory benefits to telecom executive and Walla news owner Shaul Elovitch in exchange for positive reporting.
Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on Nov. 21, 2024, over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where nearly 69,000 people have been killed and over 170,000 others injured in a brutal assault since October 2023.