Netanyahu’s Lawyer Cross-Examines Key Witness: ‘I’ll Bring Material Proof That Your Testimony Is Untrue’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The cross-examination of Hadas Klein, the key witness at the trial of former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu in “Case 1000”, began Tuesday at the Jerusalem District Court. Klein, the aide to businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer, had testified that her employers gave significant gifts to Netanyahu and his wife, totalling some 700,000 NIS.

Netanyahu’s lawyer, attorney Amit Hadad, said at the hearing that “I will bring material proof- not theories or hypothesis – and we will reveal the truth. I can tell you that it is markedly different from what you presented in court. There are things which are just not true- its a note I intend to repay.”

During the cross-examination, Hadad refuted the claims that Sara Netanyahu demanded champagne, Milchan had not initiated presents and that Packer had not received presents from the Netanyahus.

Hadad claimed that this was all false. The presents were much smaller than what had been described and the stories about champagne were fabricated for the court and had not been mentioned in previous testimony. Moreover Hadad claimed that critical proofs had been systematically destroyed, including an Excel spreadsheet delineating the amounts of money given. Klein admitted that this may have happened and that the sums mentioned there were far less than 700,000 NIS and were even less than 200,000 NIS.

Hadad also claimed that there was a “deep friendship” between Netanyahu and the two businessmen. Klein disagreed. She also denied erasing messages and hiding her telephone from investigators.

After Klein admitted in court Monday that jewelry bought for Sara Netanyahu was worth much less than she originally claimed, Hadad said that Netanyahu herself had purchased jewelry for Milchan and added that he would present the necklace to the court. Klein said that she did not know of such presents.

Hadad also displayed a search warrant on Klein’s computer and asked her to confirm that the warrant had not been implemented. Klein claimed that she was asked to find messages on her phone concerning the presents but could not find any.