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Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave testimony on Tuesday in his years-long corruption trail in Tel Aviv, and the country remained at war with Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu, who became the first sitting prime minister to stand trial on criminal charges, is accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
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Calling the charges "absurdness," Netanyahu said he is prepared to defend himself against the complaints against him.
"I have waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth as I remember it, which is important for justice," Netanyahu said, according to The Guardian. "But I am also a prime minister. I am leading a country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel."
While Netanyahu gave testimony inside the courthouse, his supporters and opponents held dueling rallies outside. Numerous lawmakers and cabinet members of Netanyahu's conservative coalition spoke out against the hearing.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, from Netanyahu's Likud Party, appeared at the court along with Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Gvir claimed that the fraud and bribery evidence against Netanyahu was fabricated and that the prosecutors bringing the charges against him should be fired.
On the other side, the mother of an Israeli soldier taken hostage and killed by Hamas last year, Maayan Sherman, blamed the prime minister for his death.
"Kidnapped because of Netanyahu," said one sign he held outside of the court, according to the Times of Israel. "Murdered by Netanyahu."
