Witness Testifies In Case About Bibi Netanyahu Receiving Illicit Presents

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The trial of former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu in the case known as “Case 1000” opened in Jerusalem Tuesday, with testimony given by the former aide to Arnon Milchan, Hadas Klein. Klein allegedly transferred various presents to the Netanyahu couple from Milchan and other wealthy people. Netanyahu is being charged with breach of trust and fraud in Case 1000, having allegedly received about 700,000 NIS in presents from 2011-2016 from Milchan and his friend James Packer.

The indictment states that Milchan transferred champagnes, cigars and valuable jewelry to the Netanyahu family. Klein described how she had worked for Arnon Milchan’s company in 2006-2008 and continued afterwards to work for him even after he sold his company. She stressed that there was no business activity of Milchan in Israel. Klein directed Milchan’s personal holdings in Israel, including the various summer homes he had.

Klein described Milchan’s friend James Packer, who had been brought by him to Israel, fell in love with the country and was introduced to the Netanyahus. Packer asked Klein to be his personal representative in Israel as well. Klein also treated him in 2016 when he was sick and brought and entire team of nurses to care for him until he returned to the US, but she continues to receive a salary from him and from Milchan for directing their affairs in Israel.

At a certain point Netanyahu asked Packer to buy the house adjacent to his own house in Caesarea. Milchan was involved in the purchase and urged Packer to conclude it even at a higher price.

Klein explained that she and Yonatan, Milchan’s driver, were responsible for transferring presents to Netanyahu. “When Arnon would travel with Yonatan to Balfour (the prime minister’s residence), he would take two boxes of cigars with him,” Klein said, “I went and bought jewelry for Sara Netanyahu and gave it to her myself at the villa in Caesarea.”

Klein said that she also purchased the champagne and cigars, initially from a store in Herzliya and then directly from the importer. She said that “Milchan kept track of every purchase and present, while Packer always wanted to give and didn’t care about the amounts.”

Klein added that “it was impossible to come to Balfour without a present. I was shouted at when I brought the wrong kind of cigar.” She said that she and Yonatan did not like transferring the presents but was not angry about it but rather felt that she was fulfilling her duty, “even though I could suffer from this.”