Defense lawyers for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are trying to cast doubt on the credibility of prosecution witness Arnon Milchan, saying the memory of the 78-year-old Hollywood mogul is bound to fade.
Discussing the free trade zone that Milchan and Indian businessman Ratan Tata tried to promote between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, defense attorney Amit Haddad charged that Milchan could not clearly recall events that took place “more than a decade ago”.
“He assured me that in all your cross-examinations, in your witness testimony,” which Milchan gave yesterday on the subject, “they did not give you real-time documents linked to Tata,” but rather “allowed you to speak from an old memory that has faded and shattered.”
Milchan replies that his memory is “neither faded nor broken”.
Milchan had approached Netanyahu to help advance the project, and later brokered a meeting with Tata, which Milchan says was intended to facilitate the introduction of the Prime Minister of India.
Haddad also emphasized Milchan’s closeness to Netanyahu as the basis for large-scale donations to Milchan.
The defense attorney refers to a letter Netanyahu sent Milchan upon taking office in 2009, saying it “shows deep friendship.”
Likewise, Haddad says that Netanyahu and Milchan share gifts, pointing to the tokens given to Milchan’s wife, Amanda, by Sara Netanyahu.
“The mutual gifts Sarah gave Amanda and the children and the gifts she gave — that’s part of that friendship,” Haddad says.
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