Middle East

Israel's Netanyahu appears in court to press libel case

Associated Press
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah as the enter the Tel Aviv Magistrate court on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 . The Netanyahus are suing Israeli journalist Yigal Sarna. (Heidi Levine/Pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Israeli journalist Yigal Sarna arrives in the HaShalom Court in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he is being sued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, not seen, Tuesday, March 14, 2017. (Debbie Hill/Pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Benjamin Netanyahu has made a rare court appearance to press a libel suit against an Israeli journalist who claimed the prime minister's wife kicked the Israeli leader out of their car during a fight.

Netanyahu and his wife Sara were in court Tuesday for their lawsuit against Igal Sarna. Sarna writes for Yediot Ahronot, a major Israeli newspaper, but the case is over a Facebook post.

The Haaretz daily quoted the prime minister as saying that "everything Sarna said was a lie, it didn't happen." It says he told the court that "anyone who knows anything about motorcade security knows that something like that can't happen."

It quoted Sarna as saying he has sources to back up his claims.

Netanyahu is seeking roughly $75,000 in damages.