With careful consideration, it is plausible to suggest that Milchan‘s decision may have been influenced by the judges‘ proposal to withdraw the bribery charge in Case 4000, which was presented just before his testimony. The witness perceived this case to overshadow his own involvement, often remarking that the magnitude of „hundreds of millions of dollars“ cannot be compared to indulgences in cigars and champagne. This positioning allowed Milchan to assume a supporting role in the unfolding narrative, but an unexpected turn of events thrust him into the spotlight. Being fluent in the language of power, it appears that Milchan recognized Netanyahu‘s resurgent influence and chose not to risk challenging him.
Archiv: Arnon Milchan
Netanyahu trials: Milchan improved PM‘s image in Israeli media
Milchan had also introduced Mozes to Australian businessman James Packer, who „really liked each other.“ Netanyahu had also asked Milchan to look into laying the groundwork for news mogul Rupert Murdoch, who the prime minister felt had business and political interests aligned with the Netanyahu administration.
Under Case 2000, Netanyahu is accused of having engaged in fraud and breach of trust for meeting with Mozes about advancing legislation to cripple his news competitor in exchange for positive coverage.
Hollywood mogul acknowledges gifts to Netanyahu may have been ‘excessive’ in 2nd day of testimony
He said he had instructed his aides to give the Netanyahus “whatever they want” and was assured by the prime minister that there was nothing illegal going on.
Is Israel Prepared to Prosecute Its Prime Minister?
For this saga to end now, one of two things has to happen: Either the prosecution has to withdraw the indictment, or Netanyahu has to admit to some of the charges and leave office immediately. But the prime minister is now breathing easy and praising the judges whom he previously suspected of being leftists. And Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who views the court’s position as a colossal mistake, is currently determined to go all the way, including to the Supreme Court.
Hollywood producer testifies about ‘supply line’ of gifts at Netanyahu’s corruption trial
The indictment accuses Netanyahu of using his influential perch to assist Milchan to secure a U.S. visa extension by drawing on his diplomatic contacts, among them former Secretary of State John Kerry. Prosecutors also accuse Netanyahu of working to push legislation that would have granted Milchan millions in tax breaks.
Hollywood Tycoon Testifies in Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial
Mr. Milchan, 78, who produced blockbusters like “Pretty Woman,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” also worked for years for Israeli intelligence as a weapons procurer. His colorful life and relationship with Mr. Netanyahu has helped turned the Case 1000 trial into a showcase of the nexus of money, power and influence in Israel.
Netanyahu arrives, almost an hour late, to Jerusalem courtroom. Milchan, via Zoom link, greets him „Shalom Bibi!“
Israeli protests outside the The Old Ship Hotel in Brighton
Israeli protesters awaiting Arnon Milchan & Sara Netanyahu at The Old Ship Hotel, Brighton, UK.
GOOD MORNING from the Jerusalem District Court, where Milchan– I kid you not– will provide testimony via @Zoom.
Hollywood Producer Arnon Milchan Testifies From Brighton at Netanyahu‘s Corruption Trial
Prosecution and defense lawyers are questioning Milchan from a hotel conference room in Brighton. While no journalists were allowed to attend, Netanyahu’s wife Sara, on a private visit to Britain, will sit in on Milchan’s testimony. His testimony is being aired in a Jerusalem courtroom for the judges, journalists and other attendees.
Film mogul Milchan to testify at Netanyahu trial Sunday, as AG said to mull deal
Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan, a key witness in one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption cases, is set to testify at the premier’s corruption trial via video link from Brighton, England, beginning on Sunday.
The film producer is a witness in Case 1000 — one of three in which Netanyahu faces charges — involving suspicions that the premier illicitly accepted gifts including cigars and champagne from Milchan and another billionaire, James Packer.
Yair Lapid‘s investigation by the state attorney in Netanyahu‘s corruption trial took less than an hour but the cross-examination is expected to take days.
Netanyahu Corruption Trial: Lapid Takes the Witness Stand in a Long-awaited Testimony
The head of the Yesh Atid party testifies as a prosecution witness in „Case 1000“, in which Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust for favors he allegedly received from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer.
Lapid is expected to be asked about meetings he held with Milchan while he served as finance minister in Netanyahu‘s government, as well as appeals he received from the prime minister about the promotion of a law that would benefit the businessman.
Netanyahu on Trial: PM Projects Panic Ahead of Hollywood Producer‘s Testimony
Milchan didn’t see his relationship with the Netanyahus as true friendship. In conversations with other politicians, he often imitated the couple and mocked their demands. Asked by police what would have happened had he not supplied the requested goods, he replied, “I imagine I would have been a less wanted guest” at the prime minister’s residence.
The Netanyahus, in contrast, described the Hollywood producer as one of their best friends. The prime minister said he spoke with Milchan more often than with his own brother, while Sara termed him a “close friend.”
Prosecution in Netanyahu Trial Admits: We Don’t Know Where Our Star Witness Is
The prosecutor in the “lavish gifts” corruption trial of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the court Tuesday that although the prosecution doesn’t know the whereabouts of James Packer, an Australian businessman who gave Netanyahu gifts, it has no intention of forgoing the testimony of the state’s key witness.
n response to a question from the head of the panel of judges that is hearing the case in Jerusalem, Alon Gildin said: “The prosecution hasn’t given up on anyone.”
How Mossad Chief Got Arnon Milchan to Boost Music Career of Oligarch‘s Daughter
(13.02.2019)
On a summer evening about a decade ago, an unusual group entered the spacious Israeli beach house home of Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. His guest at his home in Beit Yanai, to which he had made a special trip from his home in Los Angeles especially for the meeting, was Meir Dagan, the director at the time of Israel’s Mossad espionage agency.
Also in attendance was a Russian oligarch close to President Vladimir Putin and the oligarch’s young daughter. They were joined by several others as well.
(…)
While he was head of the Mossad, Dagan viewed the development of close ties with Russia, with Putin and with his close circle of associates as a strategic goal, and he accompanied the Israeli prime ministers under whom he served — Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert and Netanyahu — in their meetings with the president of Russia.
Not Just Gifts: Aide Testifies Milchan Gave Cash to Netanyahus
Hadas Klein, personal assistant to Arnon Milchan, testified on Monday that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested and received 3,000 shekels (about $900) in cash from tycoon Arnon Milchan, and that she bought his wife Sara a gift for 15,000 shekels with Milchan’s funds, also in cash. These details do not appear in the indictment, and it is the first time a claim has been presented that Netanyahu received cash from Milchan.
Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan admits double life as Israeli spy
(April 6, 2016)
In a far-reaching interview aired Monday with Israel‘s Channel 2 TV‘s flagship investigative program „Uvda,“ Milchan detailed a series of clandestine affairs in which he was involved and particularly how he helped purchase technologies Israel allegedly needed to operate nuclear bombs.
„I did it for my country and I‘m proud of it,“ said Milchan, who ran a successful fertilizer company in Israel before making it big in Hollywood.
At Netanyahu trial, defense asserts assistance to billionaire Milchan was legitimate
(06.09.2022)
In a 2013 interview with the Hebrew media, Milchan acknowledged that he had worked for the Israel Bureau of Scientific Relations, which worked to secure scientific and technical know-how for secret defense programs.
That interview led US authorities to grant him merely a one-year visa extension instead of the 10-year visas he had previously received. Milchan sought Netanyahu’s help in obtaining a new 10-year visa, and the former prime minister arranged for the Hollywood mogul to speak directly to then-US secretary of state John Kerry on the issue.
Witness in Netanyahu Trial Says She Is Still Being Harassed, Asks for Help
Klein was the personal assistant to billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer. She is testifying at the trial in Case 1000 – the lavish gifts affair – in which Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust during the time he served as prime minister. In her testimony, Klein told how Milchan and Packer sent expensive cigars and champagne to Netanyahu and his wife Sara for years through her, at the Netanyahus’ request. Her cross-examination by Amit Hadas, Netanyahu’s lawyer, will continue on September 6, after the end of the courts summer recess.
Not Just Netanyahu: Why Do Billionaires and Politicians Make Such Good Friends?
It seems that there is no better, no more characteristic demonstration of the huge gap between the aggressively marketed image and what really occupied Netanyahu in his years at the helm. He is obviously not the only politician who likes the proximity of tycoons. Ariel Sharon, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Ehud Olmert also liked being close to rich people and the pampering they could provide.
Netanyahu Blocked Billionaire Friend‘s Donation to Peres Center, Witness Says
Hadas Klein told Jerusalem District Court that Packer „wanted to donate $3 million to the Peres Center for Peace and had promised Shimon Peres he would do it.” The center was founded by the former president and prime minister in 1996, in order to further peace and cooperation between Arabs and Jews and Israelis and Palestinians.
Klein is testifying in Case 1000, in which Netanyahu is accused of improperly receiving expensive gifts in exchange for favors. Both Packer and Milchan are at the center of the affair.
Netanyahu Trial | Milchan Said He Got Netanyahu to Make Yossi Cohen National Security Adviser, Aide Testifies
„One Friday, I received a call from Arnon and he said to me, ‚Speak to Yossi Cohen and tell him that Sara likes him,'“ Klein continued. „‚Tell Yossi what Sara says about him.‘ Arnon told him that he spoke with the Netanyahus. And then Arnon met with [then-Mossad chief] Tamir Pardo on Friday afternoon. He told Pardo that he spoke to the Netanyahus and they both approved this appointment, and Tamir told Milchan: ‘You did something bad for the State of Israel.’”
Hadas Klein and the price of telling the truth
For some unclear reason, former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit decided to indict Netanyahu in this case only for fraud and breach of trust, and not bribery, and the gifts for Sara Netanyahu were not included in the indictment, because the Prime Minister’s wife is not a civil servant, even though – according to Klein – Bibi was perfectly aware of their existence, as he had told her that all of Sarah requests should be complied with.
Billionaire Milchan blasts ‘threats’ against his aide testifying in Netanyahu trial
Israel-American billionaire Arnon Milchan lambasted Israeli right-wing attacks on his aide Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu who filed a police complaint on Thursday against a journalist for harassment.
Klein has this week been giving testimony in Case 1000, in which Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust for allegedly accepting luxury gifts from Milchan and Packer worth NIS 691,776 ($200,000).
Prosecutors ask court to add new witnesses in Netanyahu’s Case 1000
Request comes after information provided by Arnon Milchan’s personal assistant regarding expansive jewelry and clothes allegedly given to former PM at his wife’s behest
Key Testimony in Netanyahu Trial May Be Postponed Amid New Allegations
According to the prosecution’s statement, the new information is not directly connected to the testimony of state witness Nir Hefetz, a former aide of Netanyahu’s. In the wake of the announcement, Hefetz’s lawyers asked the Jerusalem District Court to postpone their client’s testimony scheduled for Tuesday.
Arnon Milchan, Witness in Netanyahu Trial, Held $500m in Tax Haven, Pandora Papers Show
Milchan is a witness in the trial of Netanyahu, who has been charged with fraud and breach of trust. The indictment says that in the summer of 2013, Milchan asked then-Finance Minister Yair Lapid to extend returning Israeli citizens‘ exemption from taxes and from the requirement to report to the tax authorities. Lapid refused and Milchan took the matter up with his friend at the time, Netanyahu.
How a Drunk, Unstable Billionaire Became Netanyahu and Mossad Chief‘s Confidant
(29.04.2021)
James Packer wasn‘t just another billionaire who developed relationships with Israel‘s elite. The Australian media and casino tycoon with the troubled psyche mingled with those in the most secret circles in the country. Benjamin Netanyahu exploited him to the hilt – and he wasn‘t the only one who did so.
Netanyahu Corruption Trial: Witnesses Set to Take the Stand
(today)
The second group of witnesses are to testify in the so-called Case 1000 – the illicit gifts affair. First up will be businessman Arnon Milchan, who according to the indictment gave Netanyahu gifts valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels. The prosecution recently announced that it had moved up the testimony of the witnesses in this case, following a report in Haaretz that the prosecutors feared the prime minister could exert undue influence on Milchan.
Netanyahu made ‘highly irregular’ phone calls to key witness in graft case — TV
(17.02.2021)
According to Channel 13 news, Netanyahu phoned Milchan on consecutive days last year around May or June, apparently around the time of the Shavuot holiday, telling him how much he and his wife Sara love the Hollywood producer and his family.
The calls came after Netanyahu pressured Milchan to release lawyer Boaz Ben Tzur so he could instead represent the prime minister, the network said.
5 U.S. Billionaires Who Are Potential Witnesses at Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial
(04.12.2019)
Several prominent U.S. billionaires are on the list of over 300 people who could potentially be called as witnesses at Prime Minister Benjamin’s Netanyahu’s upcoming corruption trial.
5 U.S. Billionaires Who Are Potential Witnesses at Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial
(04.12.2019)
Several prominent U.S. billionaires are on the list of over 300 people who could potentially be called as witnesses at Prime Minister Benjamin’s Netanyahu’s upcoming corruption trial.
Case against Netanyahu includes billionaire witnesses
(02.12.2019)
Mandelblit’s indictment listed 333 potential witnesses, including Milchan and Packer, as well as U.S. casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a longtime supporter of Netanyahu, and Oracle Corp. co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison. Cosmetics heir Ron Lauder, another longtime Netanyahu associate, and British-American billionaire Len Blavatnik, also appear on the list.
Ex-tycoon, News Publisher Indicted for Bribery in Netanyahu Cases
(21.11.2019)
Arnon (Noni) Mozes, the publisher of Israel‘s largest daily newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, is indicted for bribery in Case 2000, and Shaul and Iris Elovich are indicted for bribery, obstruction of justice and obstruction of the investigation.
In February, the attorney general announced that he was closing the cases against several other suspects in the Netanyahu cases; among them were the premier‘s wife Sara, Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Knesset member Eytan Cabel (Labor-Gesher).