Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feared that without an agreement with media mogul Arnon Mozes, he would lose the 2015 Israeli election, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff Ari Harow testified during his first day on the stand as state’s witness at the Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday.
“If we reach an agreement with [Mozes] we’ll win the election,” the prosecution relayed a statement by Netanyahu that Harow told police investigators
However at another point in his testimony, Harow said that Netanyahu and his lawyer had discussed that they didn’t want to create the appearance of a quid pro quo.
The prosecution doesn’t feel that this harms the case, as Netanyahu allegedly knew he was being recorded at the time, by Harow at the direction of Netanyahu. The prime minister allegedly related to Harow that he felt that Mozes was recording some of their meetings as well.
Harow testifies as part of plea deal
The American-born Harow testified in relation to Case 2000, the Yediot Aharonot-Israel Hayom Affair, which alleges that Netanyahu sought to weaken a competitor of a paper in return for positive coverage.
The former bureau chief said that in 2009 he had organised several meetings between Netanyahu and Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes, who he described as the main source of media antagonism against the Likud leader. As chief of staff in 2014, he had organized three or four more.
Mozes and Netanyahu held meetings at the prime minister’s house, according to Harow because it was the only place they could “meet discreetly,” to talk. The witness claimed that the meetings didn’t appear on the prime minister’s schedule.
Harow felt that in one 2014 meeting Netanyahu wanted to lower Mozes’s hostility prior to the election. and the Yediot Aharonot publisher wanted to discuss competitor Yisrael Hayom. To Mozes’s chagrin, Yisrael Hayom was releasing a weekend paper, Harow explained. He alleged that Mozes wanted to reach an understanding with Netanyahu on the “Yisrael Hayom Law.”
The proposed law didn’t explicitly name the newspaper, but in effect it would have only targeted Yisrael Hayom and would restrict its ability to provide free newspapers six days a week.
Later, while a law was being discussed in the Knesset, Harow was asked by Netanyahu to pass a message to Mozes.
Harow said that he had an aide record a call between himself and Mozes in which he agreed to contact Labor MK Eytan Cabel, who initiated the law, who would then speak to now-justice minister Yariv Levin. Harow said that he understood that this was a follow up to past correspondence, and that the sentiment was that both sides were doing as they expected of one another.
Harow’s relationship with Netanyahu spans for years
Harow served as a close advisor for Netanyahu for years. Since 2008 he took the role first as Netanyahu’s bureau chief, then his chief of staff in 2014, and finally Likud campaign director for the 2015 election.
Harow faced his own fraud and breach of trust charges, but made a plea bargain to testify against Netanyahu. Harow will serve six months of community service and pay a NIS 700,000 fine.
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