CNN noted that this was the first time that a serving prime minister in Israel had been called to testify in a criminal trial against him, and emphasized thatNetanyahu claimed that the Israeli media, which is characterized by left-wing ideologies, had attacked him for years for his 'security policy.' CNN also noted that the 75-year-old Netanyahu has been forced to testify during the war in Gaza and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, splitting his time between the courtroom three times a week and the war room in the defense headquarters at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, which is just minutes away.
"Outside the courthouse, he is one of the most powerful men in the Middle East," wrote the New York Times, who oversees "Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, its occupation of southern Lebanon and recent strikes in Syria." The newspaper chose to emphasize that: "As he stepped into a cramped and sweltering underground courtroom in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel morphed into the defendant in Case 67104-01-20 – charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust."
Obama made it clear to me that U.S. policy was going to take a sharp turn against the ideas I believed in
The Wall Street Journal opened with a description of Netanyahu's duties as prime minister as well as his long-awaited trial. "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand on Tuesday to testify in his long-running corruption trial even as he manages a multi-front war – underscoring the tensions around his leadership," the newspaper reported.
The WSJ also did not ignore the fact that this was a precedent in Israel, listing the charges against Netanyahu and the fact that his testimony would last at least several weeks. The Journal also emphasized that the trial is a reminder of the controversy in Israeli society surrounding his leadership, the change in Netanyahu's attitude toward the judicial system following his legal troubles, the attempted judicial overhaul and the protests that followed.
The Washington Post focused on the fact that Netanyahu had tried to avoid appearing in court for years, despite the prime minister's claims that he had "waited eight years to speak and present the truth."
"Netanyahu rejects 'absurd' charges at corruption trial," read the BBC headline. The British news website, known for its hostile attitude toward Israel, reported that the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history had become the first sitting prime minister to take the witness stand as a criminal defendant. His lawyer, Amit Haddad, claimed that this was a biased trial and that his client was "the victim of a political witch hunt," since "the prosecution did not investigate a crime, but an individual."
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סיקור משפט נתניהו בBBC, CNN, ניו יורק טיימס, וול סטריט ג'ורנלסיקור משפט נתניהו בBBC, CNN, ניו יורק טיימס, וול סטריט ג'ורנל
Netanyahu's trial in media outlets
(Photo: BBC, CNN, WSJ, NYT)
It later noted that Netanyahu had downplayed the charges against him, emphasizing his political legacy.
A different and unusual angle of coverage was presented on the Fox News website, where it emphasized Netanyahu's rocky relationship with former President Barack Obama and his then-Secretary of State John Kerry.
"Obama made it clear to me that U.S. policy was going to take a sharp turn against the ideas I believed in," Netanyahu recounted of his interactions with the U.S. in the early days of the Obama administration. "I had to face great pressure to create a Palestinian state," he said.