Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Netanyahu, Olmert face off in court in defamation suit

Two former Israeli prime ministers are facing off in a Tel Aviv courtroom as Benjamin Netanyahu’s defamation suit against Ehud Olmert gets underway

Via AP news wire
Monday 10 January 2022 10:31 GMT
Israel Netanyahu Olmert
Israel Netanyahu Olmert

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Two former Israeli prime ministers faced off in a Tel Aviv courtroom as Benjamin Netanyahu s defamation suit against Ehud Olmert got underway on Monday.

Netanyahu, his wife and son appeared in the Tel Aviv Magistrate's court for the opening of their case against Olmert, Netanyahu's predecessor as Israel's prime minister.

Netanyahu had threatened to sue Olmert for remarks he made last year, during the aftermath of the 2021 Israeli parliamentary elections and while Netanyahu refused to step down while on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.

In an interview with an Israeli news site last April, Olmert leveled criticism at Netanyahu and said that “what is irreparable is the mental illness of the prime minister, his wife and his son.”

The Netanyahus have sued Olmert, seeking nearly $270,000 in damages, according to Hebrew press reports.

Neither Netanyahu nor Olmert spoke at the courthouse.

Olmert preceded Netanyahu as Israel’s prime minister, but resigned in 2008 before he was formally indicted on corruption charges. Olmert was convicted of fraud in 2014 and served most of a 27-month prison sentence.

As for Netanyahu, he is on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, but denies any wrongdoing. He was ousted from the prime minister's office after a coalition of parties opposing him succeeded in forming a government without his once-dominant Likud party last June. Netanyahu is currently serving as opposition leader in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in