Australian billionaire James Packer has reportedly paid at least $1.25 million to a law firm also representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing criminal trial, according to a report released Monday. The payments, which have not been independently verified, were made through monthly wire transfers of $50,000 each, beginning in September 2024.
The funds were transferred from a Citibank account held by Packer’s company, Consolidated Press International, to the Tel Aviv-based law firm Hadad Roth Shenar, which is handling Netanyahu’s defense. The Australian newspaper that published the report cited a source familiar with Packer’s financial matters, who maintained that the payments were for services provided directly to Packer—not related to Netanyahu’s legal case—and involved efforts to identify investment opportunities in Israel.
Attempts by the reporting outlet to obtain documentation or confirmation regarding the nature of the work performed by the law firm were met with no response from Packer or his company. Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Hadad declined to comment on the matter when questioned by reporters at the Jerusalem District Court, where hearings on evidentiary matters continue. Packer also declined to comment, while a spokesman for Netanyahu dismissed inquiries as distractions amid Israel’s ongoing election campaign.
The payments have emerged amid Netanyahu’s multi-faceted trial, which has been underway since May 2020. He faces charges including fraud, breach of trust, and bribery related to three separate cases. One of these, Case 1000, involves allegations that Netanyahu received expensive gifts, including cigars and champagne, from wealthy figures such as James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. According to the indictment, gifts from Packer to Netanyahu and his wife Sara totaled approximately 229,174 Israeli shekels (around $65,000), comprising mostly cigars and champagne delivered between 2014 and 2016.
A key prosecution witness in the allegations surrounding the gifts is Hadas Klein, who worked for both Milchan and Packer and provided testimony concerning the transfer and delivery of these items.
Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the trial, which also encompasses allegations of illicit dealings with media owners and regulatory benefits linked to telecommunications company Bezeq in exchange for favorable news coverage. The trial remains a focal point amid Israel’s political landscape and broader scrutiny of Netanyahu’s conduct while in office.