Day 431 - Decrying 'witch hunt,' PM begins to testify in trial

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing podcast.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the defendant in three corruption cases, took the stand today for the first time and presented long-anticipated testimony. Horovitz reminds us what are the key allegations against the prime minister and what Netanyahu said last night at a press conference that gives insight into his goals in testifying.

Last night, the Israeli Navy carried out a large-scale operation to destroy the former Assad regime’s navy fleet in Syria to prevent the Syrian navy capabilities and weaponry from falling into the hands of hostile forces, following the collapse of the Assad regime. Likewise, the Israeli Air Force, meanwhile, has carried out some 300 airstrikes in Syria since the collapse of the regime, destroying advanced weapons. Yesterday, the United Nations accused Israel on Monday of having violated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria after Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon explained Israel’s reasons for entering the demilitarized buffer zone. Horovitz speaks about Israel's goals.

During a press conference last night, Netanyahu repeated his previous assertion that Assad’s fall was the “direct result of the heavy blows we landed on Hamas, on Hezbollah, and on Iran,” and said that ever since the October 7 attacks, Israel has been working in a “systematic, measured and orderly fashion” to dismantle the Iranian axis. Horovitz weighs in.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

The State of Israel vs. Benjamin Netanyahu: PM finally set to take the witness stand

On eve of court testimony, Netanyahu pans legal system, media in heated press conference

Coalition MKs, ministers line up at court to back Netanyahu as trial testimony kicks off

After fall of Assad, PM says Israel is ‘transforming the face of the Middle East’

Israel pounds Syrian military sites; regional sources claim ‘nothing left’ of army assets

UN slams ‘violation’ of 1974 Syria disengagement deal as Israel acts in buffer zone

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IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, arrives to attend a hearing at the district court for his long-running corruption trial, in Tel Aviv, December 10, 2024. (Menahem Kahana / POOL / AFP)

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