Australian Billionaire James Packer Sent $1.25 Million to Netanyahu's Defense Firm

The law firm defending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his criminal trial received at least $1.25 million from Australian billionaire James Packer, according to a report published Monday by The Sydney Morning Herald. The report details monthly wire transfers of $50,000 that began on September 23, 2024, and continued over the past two years. The funds moved from a Citibank account belonging to Packer's company, Consolidated Press International, to an account at Bank Mizrahi Tefahot held by the Tel Aviv firm Hadad Roth Shenhar. The newspaper noted that it has not independently confirmed the transactions.

A source familiar with Packer's financial affairs told The Herald that the payments compensated Packer for work performed, such as identifying investment opportunities in Israel. The source stated that the transfers were unrelated to the prime minister's trial. The Herald reported that it later requested evidence of these deals from Packer and his company, but neither party had responded by the time of publication. Packer declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper and did not deny the existence of the payments.

Amit Hadad, Netanyahu's defense attorney, did not answer questions from The Herald. He also refused to address the matter during a break in proceedings at the Jerusalem District Court, where evidentiary hearings are currently ongoing. A spokesman for the prime minister responded to the report with the statement: "I couldn't give a monkey's about your questions. We are very busy. We have an election on right now."

Packer is a named figure in Case 1000 of Netanyahu's trial, in which the prime minister is accused of accepting gifts from Packer and businessman Arnon Milchan. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in this case, though Packer is not a defendant. Prosecutors allege that the gifts were provided regularly, sometimes in response to requests, creating a "supply line." They further contend that Netanyahu advanced Milchan's interests while in a conflict of interest, involving matters such as US visas and tax benefits.

The indictment states that gifts to Netanyahu and his wife, primarily cigars and champagne, totaled approximately NIS 690,000. Specific allegations regarding Packer cover the period from 2014 to 2016, with gifts valued at NIS 229,174. This amount consists of NIS 145,577 in cigars and NIS 83,597 in champagne. Hadas Klein, who worked for both Milchan and Packer, served as a key prosecution witness regarding the delivery of these items.

Netanyahu's trial began in May 2020 and encompasses three separate cases involving alleged dealings with media owners and gifts. He faces fraud and breach-of-trust charges in all three cases, along with a bribery charge in Case 4000 related to Bezeq and the news site Walla. Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing. The report on the legal fee payments was released on the eve of Israeli elections, while the trial remains under way.