Packer Firm Wired $1.25 Million to Netanyahu Defense Team

Australian billionaire James Packer’s company Consolidated Press International sent at least $1.25 million to the law firm defending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report published Monday. The Sydney Morning Herald detailed the payments in a story that has not yet been independently verified.

The newspaper states that the funds moved via monthly wire transfers of $50,000 starting on September 23, 2024, and continuing over the past two years. The money originated from a Citibank account held by Consolidated Press International and was deposited into an account at Bank Mizrahi Tefahot. The recipient was Hadad Roth Shenhar, a Tel Aviv-based legal practice retained for Netanyahu’s criminal defense.

Packer’s representatives told the Herald that the transfers covered work performed by his company, such as sourcing investment opportunities in Israel, rather than funding the trial itself. The outlet noted that it requested documentation of these specific deals or services, but neither Packer nor Consolidated Press International responded by publication time. Packer did not deny the payments occurred when contacted directly, though he declined to offer a formal comment.

Amit Hadad, one of Netanyahu’s defense attorneys, did not answer questions from the newspaper or address the matter during evidentiary-stage hearings at the Jerusalem District Court. In response to the report, a spokesman for the prime minister dismissed the inquiry, stating, “I couldn’t give a monkey's about your questions. We are very busy. We have an election on right now.” The publication appears just before the upcoming Israeli elections, with the trial still ongoing.

The financial disclosures intersect with Case 1000 of Netanyahu’s trial, where prosecutors allege he accepted gifts from Packer and businessman Arnon Milchan. In that case, Netanyahu faces charges of fraud and breach of trust. He is not accused of receiving the recent wire transfers. The indictment describes the gifts, primarily cigars and champagne, as a regular “supply line” that created a conflict of interest.

According to court documents, the gifts from Packer totaled approximately 229,174 shekels, consisting of 145,577 shekels in cigars and 83,597 shekels in champagne, delivered between 2014 and 2016. Hadas Klein, a former employee of both Milchan and Packer, served as a key witness regarding the delivery of these items. Netanyahu’s trial, which began in May 2020, encompasses three cases involving alleged improper dealings with media owners and private business figures.

Netanyahu denies wrongdoing in all three cases. In Case 4000, which involves alleged benefits provided to telecommunications company Bezeq in exchange for favorable media coverage on the Walla news site, he also faces a bribery charge. The recent revelation of the $1.25 million in legal fees adds a new layer of financial scrutiny to the proceedings as the trial enters its sixth year.