Controversial ‘Bibi Files’ documentary reveals interrogation footage from Netanyahu’s trials

Never-before-seen footage from the interrogations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aired during the first screening of the documentary “The Bibi Files” at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday.

The premiere itself was the subject of controversy, as the film is banned in Israel for containing leaked material from ongoing police interrogations. However, on Monday, a court rejected a request by Netanyahu to ban the screening in Toronto.

Netanyahu's lawyer argued that one of the producers, Israeli journalist Raviv Drucker, was a “political opponent” of the prime minister and intended to use the documentary to “end the prime minister’s rule.” Therefore, he requested an injunction against Drucker for publishing footage from a police interrogation without the court's permission, a move that could lead to a prison sentence of up to one year.

According to Variety Magazine, the footage comes from police interrogations conducted between 2016 and 2018 and was leaked to Alex Gibney, the main producer of "The Bibi Files” in 2023.

The documentary shows interrogations of Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and his son Yair, along with several workers and confidantes in the household.

While the content of some of the interrogations had already been leaked to the Israeli press, the screening turned into somewhat of an event, especially among opponents of the prime minister.

A small protest was held at the entrance to the venue and several Israeli journalists were in attendance for the premiere. In Israel, hosts of special Telegram groups promised to livestream the movie.

“The film worked on two levels, showing the interrogation films of the Prime Minister, his wife Sara and his son Yair Netanyahu,” wrote Dov Gil-Har, a journalist working for state-sponsored outlet KAN News.

“On a second level, it claims that the war in the Gaza Strip continues in order to save Netanyahu politically and from justice,” he added.

“In the footage, Netanyahu is being interrogated in his office, with his usual make-up on, in control of himself and eloquent as usual, but among other things, occasionally slamming the table.”

“The prime minister claimed several times in front of his investigators that he does not remember the course of events presented to him. Sara was excited and agitated in her investigations,” said Gil-Har, who was present at the screening.

The interrogations are part of the ongoing trial against Netanyahu on the charges of fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The corruption trial is creeping ahead even during wartime.

The trial against Netanyahu was temporarily delayed following the outbreak of war last October but the proceedings resumed after a couple of months.

Last month, the prosecution finished bringing witnesses in Case 4000, possibly the most serious of three cases against Netanyahu.

The case alleges that Netanyahu issued favorable regulatory decisions for Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage on Israel's Walla news site, which is owned by Bezeq’s principal shareholder, Shaul Elovitch. 

The trial is expected to last several years, with some experts predicting a resolution in 2028-2029.