TRANSCRIPT
Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars' worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assistance with personal and business interests.
He is also accused of promoting advantageous regulations for media moguls in exchange for favourable coverage of himself and his family.
His appearance in a Tel Aviv courtroom caps years of scandals that have swirled around him and his family, who have gained a reputation as enjoying a lavish lifestyle at taxpayers' expense.
Speaking ahead of the trial in his first press conference in three months, he accused the media of pursuing fake news against him and reporting lies.
"Regarding the trial, I heard in the media that they say that I want to avoid the trial. Have you heard that? Do I want to dodge? What a sad thing. For 8 years I have been waiting for this day. I have been waiting 8 years for this day, to present the truth. For 8 years, I have been waiting to finally blow up the deluded and absurd charges against me."
Legal commentator Matan Gutman says the trial will last for weeks and will draw some unwelcome attention to Mr Netanyahu.
"It will take a few months, this stage, the testimony of Mr (Benjamin) Netanyahu. In the first stage, Mr Netanyahu will give his version to all the charges. But the most interesting part will be in one month from now when it will be a cross-examination of the prosecutions of Mr. Netanyahu. And this will be the most interesting part that Netanyahu needs to give answers to a very tough questions."
The testimony - set to take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks - will take up a significant chunk of Mr Netanyahu’s working hours.
Mr Gutman says this is a struggle between the courts and the government, which says it's dangerous to distract the Prime Minister in the middle of a war.
"The ministers... and their approach to the court, they said there is no time now to the prime minister to come to the court three times a week during a war. But we must to say, according to the verdict of the Supreme Court four years ago, the Prime Minister Netanyahu can be a prime minister and can be a defendant in a criminal trial. And Mr Netanyahu said in front of the Supreme Court that he can be a prime minister and also be a defendant in a criminal trial."
An Israeli court rejected a request by Mr Netanyahu’s lawyers to reduce the expected testimony hours, as well as several other requests to delay its start, which they said were necessary because of the prime minister’s busy schedule.
Outside the court where the Prime Minister was appearing, supporters and opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were seen arguing.
One opponent said Mr Netanyahu would be "toppled" just like Syrian rebels toppled Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad.
But supporters, like Almog Cohen - an Israeli politician from the Otzma Yehudit Party - say what is happening to Mr Netanyahu is wrong.
"My response is: complete madness. On the night the State of Israel destroyed de facto the Syrian Air Force, the Syrian missile force, and other means that I can’t expand on, after a sleepless night that the Prime Minister spent in the military command centre he has to deal with these nonsense, three times a week."
A verdict isn't expected until 2026 at the earliest - and Mr Netanyahu will have the option to appeal any decision at the Supreme Court.
