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Netanyahu caught trying to negotiate more favorable press coverage

A recording of him offering an exchange with a rival in the media left him surprised.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. CREDIT: AP Photo/Dan Balilty
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. CREDIT: AP Photo/Dan Balilty

A recording of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiating favorable press coverage in exchange for business benefits has left him under increased pressure.

Netanyahu is currently under investigation for corruption charges and one of the central pieces of evidence appears to be a tape from a few months ago of the Israeli PM offering to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free daily published by Netanyahu-supporting billionaire and Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson. In exchange, Netanyahu is asking Noni Mozes, the media mogul and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth — a publication that is generally critical of Netanyahu — to cover him more favorably.

Limiting Israel Hayom’s circulation could financially benefit Mozes, according to Reuters. Yedioth Ahronoth has taken a financial hit due to the widespread availability of the free Israel Hayom.

Israeli media described the report of the recording as “an earthquake” and sources close to Netanyahu claim he was surprised by the revelation.

“He didn’t expect it,” a person close to Netanyahu told Israel’s left-leaning daily Ha’aretz.

In the past, Netanyahu has openly accused Mozes and his newspaper of partisan coverage and attempting to overthrow his leadership.

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Netanyahu has also been questioned by authorities for receiving various gifts from wealthy benefactors in Israel and abroad. Among the gifts were, “first-class flights, hotel suites, expensive Cuban cigars, champagne and suits,” Ha’aretz reported.

Before this latest report, the Israeli leader said he expected to get off scot-free and described the allegations against him are only “hot air.”

“This is wrong, incessant pressure from the media on law enforcement. They release balloons and the hot air comes out of them time after time. That will be the case here too,” Netanyahu told his fellow Likud ministers before Israel’s Channel 2 broke the story of the recording.