Incoming prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself on Monday from comments made by his son Yair, who on a radio show over the weekend hinted that prosecutors who were involved in the decision to charge his father with bribery, fraud and breach of trust need to be tried for treason, and if found guilty, sentenced to death.
In a Monday morning tweet, the Likud leader wrote: "I love my son Yair who is an independent person with his own opinion. While everyone has the right to voice their opinion, I disagreed with [Yair's] comments published yesterday."
אני אוהב את בני יאיר שהוא אדם עצמאי עם דעות משלו. אף שזכותו של כל אדם להביע ביקורת, לא הסכמתי עם הדברים שאמר שפורסמו אתמול.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 26, 2022
Elovitch couple condemns Yair's calls as Case 4000 trial resumes
As Netanyahu senior's criminal trials were set to resume on Monday morning, Shaul and Iris Elovitch, who are defendants in Case 4000 along with Netanyahu, also condemned Yair's comments that "have crossed the line in their involvement of prosecutors and investigators," the couple said in a statement released through attorney Jacques Chen.
"Criticism, even bold criticism over what transpires in court is legitimate," the attorney said in his opening statement on Monday morning. "However, on behalf of the Elovitch couple and myself, we completely and resolutely disavow" Yair's comments.
"No 'buts' and without any reservation," the attorney added.
Yair, who is known to be extremely influential in Netanyahu's policies and political decisions, drew a hard line against the legal establishment which has been increasingly adopted by his father in recent years.
Netanyahu has also found himself in legal trouble in the past. He recently lost a libel suit brought against him by a former journalist whom the younger Netanyahu had called a mole working with the state prosecution against his father.