Israeli opposition leader testifies that Netanyahu pushed him to back tax breaks for Hollywood stars

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - NOVEMBER 21: (ISRAEL OUT) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Defence Minister Ehud Barak (not pictured), on November 21, 2012 in Jerusalem, Israel. JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's opposition leader testified Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently tried to persuade him — twice — to back legislation that would have given a Hollywood mogul millions in tax breaks.But Yair Lapid, a former prime minister himself and a major Netanyahu rival, said he was not convinced.Lapid made the statements as he testified in Jerusalem in one of three corruption cases against Netanyahu.

The indictment claims Netanyahu used his position of power to further Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan’s interests in exhange for gifts, representing a conflict between the premier's public duties and personal friendship.Netanyahu did personal favors for Milchan, including asking U.S.

officials to extend Milchan’s U.S. resident’s permit and extending Israeli regulations exempting Israeli returnees from declaring foreign income, according to the indictment.Lapid testified Monday that Milchan and his attorneys had tried first without success to persuade him that extending the tax breaks for a decade would be good for Israel, Israeli media reported.

Then Netanyahu broached the matter twice with Lapid, he testified — once at the prime minister's residence and once outside a Cabinet meeting, according to the reports.Lapid said he told Netanyahu that it wasn't going to happen, and the prime minister responded that it was "a good law."Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, denies claims of wrongdoing, saying he was not acting in Milchan’s personal.