Yair Netanyahu testifies in 'Crime Minister' defamation lawsuit

The lawsuit claims that the former prime minister's son posted false and defamatory publications about the movement and its people on Twitter.

 Yair Netanyahu, son of former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a court hearing on a defamation suit filed by Crime Minister movement, in Tel Aviv, November 29, 2021.  (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Yair Netanyahu, son of former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a court hearing on a defamation suit filed by Crime Minister movement, in Tel Aviv, November 29, 2021.
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)

Yair Netanyahu appeared on Sunday at the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court for an evidence hearing in a defamation lawsuit against him by the Crime Minister movement.

The son of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu went up to the witness stand and was questioned by the lawyers of both sides.

Netanyahu is represented by Adv. Yossi Cohen, while the Crime Minister movement is represented by Adv. Gonen Ben Yitzhak.

During his testimony, Netanyahu was asked by Ben Yitzhak whether he had ever lied, to which he responsed: "Much less than you, that's for sure!"

"I was present on the eve of the break-in in Balfour, my parents took me to a shelter, the security guards that were with us pulled out weapons because they were afraid they would lynch us, We were told they were left-wing protesters," Netanyahu said.

The defamation lawsuit, which is asking for NIS 500,000, was filed by the "Crime Minister" movement against the younger Netanyahu.

The lawsuit claims that false and defamatory publications were posted by Netanyahu Jr. on Twitter about the movement and its people, it said. 

According to the lawsuit, Netanyahu compared the members of the movement to Nazi militias, claimed that they were funded by foreign money and by a pedophile, and called them violent lunatics with severe psychotic problems.