Netanyahu aide to testify against him

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that a longtime confidant to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will testify against him on corruption allegations. Shlomo Filber, a close aide and the former director of the Communications Ministry, is under arrest on suspicion of exchanging political favors for favorable coverage of Netanyahu through Israel’s Bezeq telecom company. Police have not yet confirmed a deal with Filber to testify. The development came after reports on Tuesday that Nir Hefetz, another Netanyahu confidant, attempted to bribe a judge in exchange for dropping a corruption case against Sara Netanyahu, the prime minister’s wife. Last week, Israeli police announced they had evidence to indict Netanyahu in two separate cases for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the media is orchestrating a campaign to get him kicked out of office. Israeli Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit will make the final decision on whether to file charges, a process that could take several months.