ALBAWABA - Israel's former Likud prime ministers - Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu - are in court battling it out over he is supposed to be mentally ill and who needs psychiatric help.
The Israeli media has been having a field day covering the court hearing that started on Sunday.
The Times of Israel started this way: Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his family members testified on Sunday in a fiery hearing in their libel lawsuit against former prime minister Ehud Olmert, with Netanyahu saying he does not have a psychiatric history and calling Olmert’s attorney “crazy, but not clinically ill” during court questioning.
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert called Netanyahu family “mentally ill” so naturally Netanyahu family sued him for slander. Case is (for now) going to court w prelim hearing this am, where Olmert wants all Netanyahu family medical records made public to prove they’re mentally ill
— Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) January 10, 2022
This is supposed the start of a full-blown trial that is likely to be just as messy as the ongoing court case Netanyahu faces on corruption.
Report on today's court testimony:
— Marian Houk (@Marianhouk) June 13, 2022
"In fiery libel hearing against Olmert, Netanyahu denies having ‘psychiatric history’..." https://t.co/1SkEZMLlxF
Naturally the trial is being covered by the Palestinian media. But Olmert, who served as a Israel's prime minister between 2006 till 2009 and was convicted and served time in jail insists that Netanyahu and his family (Sara and his son Yair) have mental problems.
Olmert: I called the Netanyahus mentally ill after consulting with experts: As both parties attend a court hearing on a defamation suit filed against Olmert, Netanyahu's lawyer says 'In a different country Olmert would have been arrested' https://t.co/8KmQqIYtSr Haaretz pic.twitter.com/pyga41i3u7
— Jewish Community (@JComm_NewsFeeds) January 10, 2022
But the Netanyahu's are not convinced as of to say how can Olmert a convicted prisoner utter such scathing views about Bibi Netanyahu who served as Israel's second longest prime minister - with the last stint from 2009 till 2021 - after David Ben-Gurion. They say for that, Olmert must cough up a lot of money providing that the judge rule in their favor.
If no surprises, ex PM Netanyahu, his wife Sara & their son Yair are scheduled to appear Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, alongside former PM Ehud Olmert, in the first hearing of a $270000 defamation suit the Netanyahus filed against Olmert, who they claim called them "mentally ill." https://t.co/lqLJMJ0c95
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) January 5, 2022
Fascinating reading is found in the Times of Israel which goes at length to provide what went on in the Israeli magistrate court and what was said and by different witnesses.
Olmert: I Called the Netanyahus Mentally Ill After Consulting With Experts, As both parties attend a court hearing on a defamation suit filed against Olmert, Netanyahu's lawyer says 'In a different country Olmert would have been arrested' https://t.co/o9yVSsYM1F
— John Lynch (@johnlynch4492) January 10, 2022
No doubt as the trial continues more tidbits of frilly news will continue to come out.
