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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand Tuesday for the first time in his long-running trial for corruption. But long before that these accusations has emerged, Netanyahu has been plagued by a wave of embarrassing scandals and accusations.

Netanyahu consistently and emphatically denies any wrongdoing and has attacked investigations into his conduct or that of his family as witch hunts driven by a hostile media and a biased justice system.

Here’s a look at some of the scandals that Netanyahu, his family and his aides have faced since he began dominating the Israeli political scene.

Submarine suspicions

Close confidantes of Netanyahu are suspected of receiving bribes to prepare a deal buy submarines and other warships from Germany. Netanyahu is not a suspect in this case. But a state investigative committee investigating the case sent a letter to the prime minister earlier this year warning him that its conclusions could harm him.

The committee did not detail the precise allegations against Netanyahu, but painted a picture of improper decision-making at multiple levels within the government, the defense establishment and the military. He denies wrongdoing.

Leaked and forged documents

A spokesperson for the Israeli leader has been charged the leaking of secret information to the German tabloid ‘Bild’ that the charges would have harmed Israel’s wartime security and interests. Netanyahu himself has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Critics say the leak was intended to sway public opinion to be more supportive of Netanyahu’s negotiating positions with Hamas, and to reduce public pressure on him to make a deal on the release of hostages held by the militants held. Another Netanyahu aide is under investigation for falsifying documents, a move critics say was aimed at shielding Netanyahu from future investigations into his wartime conduct.

Big expenses

In 2016, an official expense report revealed that Netanyahu had spent more than $600,000 in public funds on a six-day trip to New York, including $1,600 on a personal hairdresser. Three years earlier, he was criticized for spending $127,000 in public funds for a special sleeper cabin on a five-hour flight to London. Netanyahu claimed he was unaware of the costs and stopped the practice. He was also forced to stop buying ice cream at a craft parlor in Jerusalem after news broke that his office had paid a $2,700 bill for his favorite flavors, vanilla and pistachio.

His wife, Sara, has also been accused of misusing about $100,000 in public funds to order luxury meals from celebrity chefs at the prime minister’s official residence, even though she already had chefs on the government payroll. She agreed to pay $15,000 for misuse of state funds as part of a plea deal.

Accusations also came against the Netanyahus for using public money to buy furniture for their private beach house and to cover the medical expenses of Sara Netanyahu’s late father. The attorney general ultimately dismissed the charges.

Fly high

Netanyahu was suspected of double-billing travel expenses and using state funds to cover personal trips in the 2000s, when he was finance minister and opposition leader. After a lengthy investigation, the Attorney General dismissed the case.

Unhappy household

Netanyahu’s domestic workers have repeatedly accused Sara Netanyahu of explosive rants and abuse.

During Netanyahu’s first stint as prime minister, the family nanny said she was fired by Netanyahu’s wife for burning a pot of vegetable soup. The young woman said she was thrown out of the family’s home without clothes or passport, and was later ordered to retrieve her belongings dumped outside the gate. Netanyahu’s office said the woman was fired because she was prone to violent outbursts.

Two domestic workers have been awarded damages in lawsuits accusing Sara Netanyahu of abuse. In 2016, a court in Jerusalem awarded a housekeeper more than $42,000 in damages. Netanyahu and his wife have both denied the charges. In 2018, a recorded phone conversation surfaced in which the prime minister’s wife yelled at her publicist about a gossip column failing to include her education credentials.

Joyride

In 2018, a recording surfaced of Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair, joyriding with his super-rich friends to strip clubs in Tel Aviv in a taxpayer-funded government vehicle during a drunken night out. He later apologized.

Netanyahu, 33, has also courted controversy over the years for lewd and offensive social media posts, such as his publication of a caricature that drew on classic anti-Semitic tropes. Facebook briefly suspended his account after he wrote that he would prefer an Israel without Muslims.

Mistress leaks

In the 1990s, rumors circulated that a videotape existed depicting Netanyahu and his image consultant, a married woman named Ruth Bar, in “compromising romantic situations.” In response, Netanyahu went on television and confessed to committing adultery, even though the tape never appeared.

Influence on peddling

During his first term in the 1990s, Netanyahu was suspected of appointing an accomplice as attorney general in exchange for political support from the ultra-religious Shas party. Prosecutors called Netanyahu’s behavior “confusing” but ultimately closed the case due to lack of evidence.

Lining pockets

During that same term, Netanyahu and his wife were suspected of pocketing gifts and foreign contributions from world leaders – items considered state property. The Netanyahus were also suspected of accepting favors from a contractor. Both cases were closed without charges.

Originally published: December 10, 2024 at 11:23 am CST