Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rejected claims that he instructed then-Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber to advance the approval of the Bezeq-Yes merger, as prosecutors pressed him on contemporaneous accounts at the center of the bribery charge in Case 4000.
Testifying at the Tel Aviv District Court, the prime minister denied that he directed Filber to prioritize the merger, disputing the state’s contention that Filber told senior regulators the matter was “urgent for the minister,” referring to Netanyahu in his capacity as communications minister.
Case 4000 centers on allegations that Netanyahu advanced regulatory decisions beneficial to Shaul Elovitch, the then-controlling shareholder of telecom giant Bezeq, in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which Elovitch also owned at the time.
Prosecutors allege that the prime minister used his governmental authority to promote policies worth hundreds of millions of shekels to Bezeq, while Elovitch and his wife exerted pressure on Walla executives to shape coverage of Netanyahu and his political rivals.
Prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh confronted the prime minister on Tuesday with testimony from former Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council chairwoman Yifat Ben-Hai Segev, who said Filber conveyed at the time that the merger required expedited approval because it was important to the minister.
Prosecutors also pointed to internal communications in which then-Communications Ministry legal adviser Dana Neufeld was allegedly told that “the prime minister wants to sign on Tuesday,” presented by the state as real-time evidence that Filber was acting on Netanyahu’s instructions.
The prime minister told the court that Filber had “not heard a word from me” on the issue and suggested that the former director-general was acting based on his own policy outlook on telecommunications reform, including the expansion of fiber-optic infrastructure. He added that it was not unusual for officials to invoke a minister’s name in advancing initiatives, saying he frequently encountered instances of colleagues claiming to act on his authority without direct instruction.
The prime minister's defense
The exchange grew more confrontational when Netanyahu accused police investigators of having improperly pressured Filber during the investigation. He referenced Filber’s past allegation that he was subjected to a coercive search while in custody – a complaint that led to a criminal investigation but was closed in December 2025 for lack of supporting evidence. Prosecutors noted in court that the case had been closed after no corroboration was found.
A heated exchange followed after the prime minister appeared to describe Filber as having been “raped” or psychologically coerced by investigators, prompting Tirosh to respond sharply and defense attorney Amit Hadad to demand that she retract her remarks. Netanyahu himself inserted the rape question while Tirosh had asked about something unrelated – his own police interrogations. Judges intervened to restore order, with Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman cautioning counsel against personal attacks during proceedings.
Filber, who later turned state’s witness, is alleged in the indictment to have accelerated internal processes within the Communications Ministry and the Cable and Satellite Council to meet timelines favorable to Elovitch’s business interests, including the merger approval under dispute.
Netanyahu has maintained throughout the trial that regulatory decisions concerning the merger were made on professional grounds and that he sought legal guidance before any involvement in related matters.
Proceedings have also continued to be adjusted around the prime minister’s busy schedule, with several recent hearings shortened or rescheduled due to parliamentary commitments and diplomatic visits. The Wednesday hearing was canceled, and the trial is scheduled to resume next week.