Video: Netanyahu's trial continues State witness Ari Haro (Roni Knafo)
State witness in case 2000 Ari Herro, who was chief of staff in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office from 2015 to 2014, took the witness stand for the second time in the Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday, this time for cross-examination by Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad.
In cross-examination, Haddad tried to show that the prosecution tried with all its might to formulate an indictment against Netanyahu, and that Herro himself did not interest the investigators at all.
Haddad: Did you feel like they were trying to sew you a bag?
Harrow: That's right
, Haddad: They told you that if they tighten the rope around your neck, you will vomit something on Prime Minister Netanyahu. Stepped on you.
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Haddad: You are rarely interrogated in this case, right? A bizarre event to me, you were a means and not an end
Herro: That's right, Haddad: You felt like they wouldn't leave you, right
?
Harrow: That's right
, Haddad: Even during the interrogation, you felt that you were a means and not an end?
Herro: As of
yesterday, Herro testified about the meetings the prime minister held with a news publisher, Mozes, which were coordinated at Netanyahu's request. According to Herro, Netanyahu's goal in his meetings with Mozes was to create influence ahead of the 2015 elections. "We were ahead of elections, the impact was important. And the news had an important impact on the public. We wanted to improve our situation with the public."
Ari Herro in his testimony, today (Photo: Flash 90, Jonathan Zindel)
Haddadlingered on the fact that duringHerro'sinterrogation they tried to reach the prime minister.
Haddad: A police investigator back in 2015 told you, long before the thousands of files: "If you want to get out of the Baruch, you have ways." Was there such a thing?
Harrow: Yes
Haddad: That was on the same day, in December 2015. You understood that they wanted to receive material about the prime minister, is that how you understood?
Harrow: Yes, that's how I understood
Haddad: remember the exact text?
Herro: I think I was told, "You know there are ways out of this."
Haddad: And you understood that it was to give information about Prime Minister Netanyahu?
Herro: That's how I understood at the time
. At this point, Adv. Haddad presented a segment that was broadcast on the program "Ovda," in which excerpts from Herro's interrogation are shown.
Haddad: The interrogator says that when the investigation against you is opened, you are a "small fish" and can bring a "big fish" through you, that's how you understood then in the conversation you presented earlier – that is, the way to reach the prime minister?
Harrow:True
More in Walla!
Ari Herro testifies: "Netanyahu said that if we reach an agreement with Noni, we will win the elections."
See full article >
Haddad: When you take the phone in February 2016 you see that the recording app is open Haro: That's right Haddad: There's no reason for it to be open because you're not using
Herro: That's right Haddad: And it's open
on the Netanyahu recordings Moses Herro: That's right
Haddad: You recorded these recordings on your personal phone, and the recordings
are made with the help of a billet-in app.
Harrow: I think so, yes. I didn't download an app. I didn't know how to record at all, they showed me that it was possible.
Haddad: Those recordings until December
Herro: That's right
Haddad: You forgot they existed
Herro:True
Haddad: They were left deep on the phone, and dust was building up on it.
Herro: That's right
, Haddad: During the interrogation, you thought you were being given a credibility exercise. They give you a phone, not you opened, someone there opened, watched, listened, checked the processes as well. They give you the phone when it's open on the recording app and you'll see what you do. Right?
Harrow: That's right
, Haddad: Maybe call Netanyahu, maybe tell him, and then obstruction of justice. Right?
Harrow: That's right.
Haddad: All kinds of scenarios, you consulted with a lawyer, right?
Harrow: That's right, Haddad: At the time, you didn't ask for anything because you didn't
think you needed anything, did you?
Harrow: That's right
, Haddad: What would you ask for? There's nothing about a bag in your mind, right?
Harrow: That's right, Haddad: You understood that it was due to pressure from researchers, right
?
Harrow: I thought it was an exercise
"Big fish". Netanyahu (Photo: Reuven Castro)
Yesterday, Arrow testified that Netanyahu asked him to record some of his meetings with Mozes. "I thought it wasn't a good idea and told Netanyahu. He thought Mr. Moses was recording the conversations, so he thought it was right for him to have a recording as well." Herro noted that Netanyahu feared that if there was no understanding between him and Mozes, the Likud would lose the elections. "It's true that I said that I remember Bibi saying that if we reach an agreement with Noni, we will win the elections."
The state's witness spoke about the possibility that the owner of the Israel Hayom newspaper, Sheldon Adelson, would purchase Yedioth Ahronot. "It wasn't a serious option. The Monopolies Law could not have allowed this in terms of holding percentages," Herro said, adding: "Netanyahu asked me to talk to Sheldon again. We met at his apartment in Tel Aviv and I told him that Netanyahu was raising the issue again, but he wasn't interested in hearing it. In general, he didn't like being asked to buy another newspaper."
What is Case 2000 about?
Case 2000 (the Netanyahu-Mozes affair) deals with talks between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes. In those conversations, the two allegedly discussed improving the prime minister's coverage in a news group in exchange for imposing restrictions on the paper's main competitor, Israel Hayom. The prosecution was convinced that the person who offered the deal was Mozes, and therefore he was accused of offering a bribe. On the other hand, former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was also convinced that Netanyahu did not intend to complete the bribery deal, but continued the talks with Mozes in order to improve his coverage in a news group, and even took certain actions to that end. In this case, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust.
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