Arnon Milchan's testimony for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Case 1000 corruption trial continued into its fifth day on Thursday.
Milchan is alleged to have plied Netanyahu with expensive gifts in return for his aid with his business and personal interests. According to the prosecution, Netanyahu engaged in breach of trust by helping Milchan with his US visa issues and promoting a tax exemption law extension that would benefit the businessman.
The defense has argued that Milchan had other motivations in giving Netanyahu gifts. Milchan and Netanyahu were argued to be close friends, and the gifts were from a generous benefactor who was "like a brother." The gifts, it was said by Milchan, were not expensive to him, and they had been given to Netanyahu since before he was prime minister.
Netanyahu's lawyers also argued that Milchan was motivated by the economic and security interests for Israel, and projects that he lobbied for were not necessarily just in his interest. Milchan had served Israel in sensitive security capacities in the past.
Milchan testified through Zoom video call from a Brighton, UK courthouse, as he was reportedly too ill to travel to Israel. Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister's wife, had been present at the Brighton courthouse throughout Milchan's testimony.