Overview
- In an English-language message, Netanyahu called the proceedings a political effort to remove him from office and reiterated his denial of wrongdoing.
- He held up a Bugs Bunny doll to deride prosecutors for citing a decades-old toy gift, declaring the case the “Bugs Bunny trial.”
- The indictment alleges he sought favorable media coverage and accepted over $260,000 in luxury gifts, including cigars, jewelry and champagne.
- He said the trial schedule now requires him to appear three times a week, arguing it hampers his ability to govern.
- He recently requested a presidential pardon, and President Donald Trump sent Herzog a letter last month urging clemency.