According to the Palestinian Information Center, Netanyahu on Tuesday testified before the Tel Aviv District Court in a fortified underground anti-missile hall known as Hall 512, which was used to try Israeli criminal gangs and is one of the most secure branches of the Israeli courts.
Previously, the trials of organized crime leaders were held there because their charges were difficult to handle in regular branches and they had to be tried under strict security measures, report said, adding that hall is located on the ground floor of the courthouse and is made entirely of reinforced concrete and has no windows to prevent any security risks.
Zionist figures such as Isaac Abergel, the international drug cartel leader, and murder convicts like Muti Hussein sat behind the hall’s bulletproof glass several years ago.
The hall was once again in the spotlight as a sitting prime minister witnesses trial on criminal charges there for the first time since the creation of the Israeli regime.
The security level was high for Netanyahu's testimony, especially in light of the widespread public attention and anti-regime protesters outside the court. The court also barred media outlets from broadcasting the proceedings live.
Netanyahu denied corruption accusations as he began testifying, the first criminal defendant premier in the Zionist regime’s history. He has been facing charges of corruption, accepting bribes, and breach of trust since January 2019, and his first trial hearings were held in April 2020.
Netanyahu is scheduled to testify six hours weekly over three days – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – until his testimony concludes.
The charges stem from cases labeled “Case 2000” and “Case 4000,” accusing him of feathering his own nest to secure favorable media coverage for himself and his family.
Previously, the Israeli cabinet investigation committee regarding the corruption case in the purchase of a submarine from Germany issued a warning message to five officials of the regime, including Netanyahu.
The committee assessed that the procedure followed to purchase a submarine from Germany between 2009 and 2016, which coincides with Netanyahu's term as prime minister, was contrary to existing laws.
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