Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan testifies at Israel’s Netanyahu corruption trial

Arnon Milchan, an Israeli businessman and film producer, testified in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial on Sunday. The Israeli producer who gave various Hollywood blockbuster films said that he sent tens of thousands of dollars of Champagne, cigars, and valuable gifts to the Israeli leader.

The Israeli producer appeared by videoconference from the British city of Brighton. The Hollywood producer is a crucial witness because his testimony is important to the prosecution's effort to show that Israeli leader Netanyahu broke the law and committed fraud in one of the three cases that have been brought against him.

According to reports, the prosecution hopes that Milchan's testimony, which was scheduled to last through this week and next, will shed light on the lavish favors that the Israeli leader and his wife allegedly received, which led the Israeli prime minister to allegedly use his influence to advance Milchan's agenda.

According to media reports, the Israeli producer is being questioned by prosecutors and defense attorneys in a Brighton hotel conference room. While journalists are not permitted to stay in the conference room, Sara Netanyahu, the wife of the Israeli leader who is visiting Britain on a personal trip, will attend.

Sara Netanyahu and the Hollywood producer, 78, were seen in a video that Israeli Channel 13 aired. They were seen strolling independently up the hotel stairs. The testimony was broadcast on a screen in the courtroom in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.

Reportedly, the Hollywood producer gave Netanyahu and his wife jewelry, boxes of cigars, and crates of Champagne over a period of several years, which amounted to nearly $200,000. 

According to the indictment, the Israeli leader used his position to help Milchan obtain a United States visa renewal by calling on his diplomatic connections, including former US Secretary of State John Kerry. Additionally, Netanyahu was also charged with seeking to advance legislation that would have provided the Hollywood producer with millions in tax advantages.