Netanyahu in Court on Corruption Trial

CrossFireArabia
Uncategorized
December 18, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court in Tel Aviv for the 4th time, Wednesday, to testify in his corruption trial.

Netanyahu’s hearing session was scheduled for Tuesday but was canceled after he embarked on a secret visit to Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) in Syria’s demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights.

According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu’s session on Wednesday is expected to focus on a case known as “4000” in which the prime minister is accused of providing regulatory favors to Shaul Elovitch, then-owner of Bezeq Telecom Company and the Walla news site, in exchange for favorable coverage for him and his wife.

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country’s history, faces accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which he denies according to Anadolu.

Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November over atrocities in Gaza.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Gaza Underground – A Novel

CrossFireArabia
September 10, 2026

Gaza Underground is a novel written in Arabic by Atef Abu Sief.

An extract:

Once, Abdel-Halim suggested transforming the tunnels beneath Gaza into an “underground” network. Wael replied that some things do not lend themselves to commerce; what was being proposed was not a business venture, but a solution to the crisis. “Can you imagine,” he asked—gesturing along the length of the tunnel—”that there is an entire city underground here?! What will we do with it after the war?” Salim interjected, saying they would do nothing; they would simply continue sitting in the “magic café.” Naeem remarked, “Thanks to the war for this café.” They laughed as they reminisced about their gatherings at Wael’s chalet by the sea.

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