Packer Wire Transfers: $1.25 Million Reached Netanyahu's Legal Team

James Packer, the Australian media executive, directed at least 1.25 million U.S. dollars to the law firm representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report released on Monday by The Sydney Morning Herald. The publication states that the funds arrived via monthly wire transfers of 50,000 dollars each over the past two years. The first transfer occurred on September 23, 2024. The report has not been independently verified.

The newspaper identified the source of the funds as a Citibank account belonging to Consolidated Press International, Packer’s company. The money was deposited into an account at Bank Mizrahi Tefahot held by Hadad Roth Shenhar, a Tel Aviv legal firm. A source familiar with Packer’s finances told the paper that the payments compensated him for identifying investment opportunities in Israel. The source insisted the transfers were unrelated to the prime minister’s criminal defense. The Herald requested proof of these business deals but received no response from Packer or his company before publication.

Packer did not deny the existence of the payments when contacted by the reporter. Amit Hadad, Netanyahu’s lead defense attorney, declined to answer questions from the newspaper. He also refused to address the matter while appearing at the Jerusalem District Court for evidentiary hearings. A spokesman for the prime minister offered a brief reaction to the inquiries. "I couldn’t give a monkey’s about your questions. We are very busy. We have an election on right now," the spokesman said.

Packer is a central figure in Case 1000 of Netanyahu’s trial. Prosecutors allege that Netanyahu accepted gifts from Packer and businessman Arnon Milchan in exchange for favors. The prime minister faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in that case, though he is not accused of bribery. The indictment claims the gifts were not isolated incidents but part of a regular "supply line" provided in response to specific requests.

According to the legal documents, the alleged gifts to Netanyahu and his wife totaled approximately 690,000 New Israeli shekels. The portion attributed to Packer amounted to 229,174 shekels, consisting of 145,577 shekels in cigars and 83,597 shekels in champagne. These allegations cover the period from 2014 to 2016. Hadas Klein, who worked for both Packer and Milchan, served as a key witness regarding the delivery of these items.

The trial began in May 2020 and encompasses three separate cases involving media owners. Netanyahu faces fraud and breach-of-trust charges in all three cases, along with a bribery charge in Case 4000. That case concerns alleged regulatory benefits given to Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage by the news site Walla. The prime minister maintains his innocence in all counts. The current trial continues while Israel prepares for upcoming elections.