Corruption Trial Of Israeli Prime Minister Begins.
HOLMES: The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, due in court at the start of his corruption trial, which begins in just a few hours. For more, CNN's Oren Liebermann is live for us there in Jerusalem. What are we likely to see play out today? This is just the start of this, right?</s>OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very much the start and most of what will happen in court today will be technical matters. It's to make sure that Benjamin Netanyahu understands the charges against him. He doesn't have to enter a plea today and he probably doesn't have to speak. But it's still unprecedented, the State of Israel versus Benjamin Netanyahu. The rest of the day will be talking about scheduling and evidence and what's confidential and not confidential. The actual trial itself, still months away, perhaps even occurring next year. Make no mistake, this is a big day in the history of the state of Israel.</s>LIEBERMANN (voice-over): One week after Benjamin Netanyahu's swearing in for a fifth term as prime minister, he's facing a very different panel: three judges presiding over his criminal trial. The 70-year-old leader has been fighting this day for more than three years, ever since the investigations were made public.</s>LIEBERMANN (voice-over): He's maintained his innocence, calling the probes an attempted coup.</s>BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL: This evening we are witnessing a governmental coup attempt against a prime minister by false libel and with a tenacious and contaminated investigation process.</s>LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Israel's longest serving prime minister faces prosecution in three cases. In case 4,000, prosecutors say Netanyahu advanced regulatory benefits for his friend, a multi-millionaire business man. Those benefits were worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In exchange, prosecutors say Netanyahu received favorable news coverage from a news website owned by that business man. In this case, Netanyahu faces the most serious charge of bribery as well as the charge of fraud and breach of trust. In case 2,000, prosecutors say Netanyahu was working on an arrangement with the owner of one of Israel's largest papers. Netanyahu sought better news coverage in exchange for limiting the circulation of the paper's rival. Netanyahu faces a charge of fraud and breach of trust in this case. Finally in case 1,000, prosecutors say Netanyahu received valuable gifts, such as cigars and champagne from overseas business men, gifts, they say, a public servant shouldn't have received. Here Netanyahu also faces a charge of fraud and breach of trust. I intend to lead the country as prime minister for many years to come. None of that has fazed Netanyahu.</s>NETANYAHU (through translator): I intend to continue to lead you and the country as a prime minister for many years to come. Don't believe all the spins (ph).</s>LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Netanyahu's best defense is his former political rival, Benny Gantz, who broke his campaign promise not to serve under an indicted prime minister. The coalition agreement between the two protects Netanyahu's position for the next 18 months, during which Netanyahu can pursue annexation of parts of the West Bank. All the while Netanyahu's corruption cases will proceed in the background, slowly. It took more than three years to get to this point, a trial with 333 witnesses isn't expected to move much faster.</s>LIEBERMANN: At this point, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to show a business as usual perspective. A week after the new government's swearing in, today is the first cabinet meeting where Netanyahu didn't mention the trial at all. He talked about coronavirus and the budget and said now the country has to work together moving forward. It was Netanyahu's closest allies in the government, some of the minister's closest to him, who have continued to attack the judicial system and also the attorney general and the investigative process in general. The new justice minister who was from Blue and White has said he would defend the justices but that defense is being drowned out by all of the attacks that will play out today.</s>HOLMES: Benjamin Netanyahu has fought this day for a long time. Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem. Appreciate it. Thanks very much. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.