Less theatrics and more denials highlighted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2nd day in court on Wednesday.

Addressing the prosecution’s case regarding 315 alleged instances of bribery requests to Walla for favorable coverage, the prime minister argued that he would never have spent large amounts of time trying to influence the site.

Although he admitted to having knowledge of some interactions after being presented evidence of written messages from intermediary Zeev Rubinstein to Walla officials, he claimed that if he had wanted to influence something, he would have appealed directly to Walla owner Shaul Elovitch.

“The whole idea that I went to Rubinstein to get to Elovitch is ridiculous. He lived in America, that’s a seven-hour time difference which in the world of internet news is huge,” Netanyahu said. “I didn’t need Rubinstein to get to Elovitch.”

A pivotal December 2012 dinner between the Netanyahus and Elovitches emerged as a key point of contention during testimony. While prosecutors painted the evening as the beginning of a media bribery scheme, Netanyahu offered a markedly different characterization, describing it as a cordial social gathering with limited business discussion.

“We got to know each other. We had met previously among dozens of business people. This was the first time I sat across from him with his wife and my wife,” Netanyahu testified.

“On a personal level, we talked about family and children – that’s one clear topic. The other topic, which, of course, interested me greatly, was his business ventures in Japan, and I asked him questions about it.”

However, he flatly rejected allegations that he promised financial benefits or other means if Elovitch agreed to shift Walla’s coverage to favor him or his inner circle.

Israel’s longest serving prime minister grew emotional when discussing media coverage of his wife Sara.

“It’s painful, but in my eyes, she is a great hero. She tries every day to make the public aware of her real actions and to refute the lies against her. Sara has become a punching bag; to harm me, they target my wife and children,” he said.

At the conclusion of his lengthy testimony, spanning almost six hours, Netanyahu’s request for a private audience with the court met strong opposition from prosecutors. The unusual appeal remains under negotiation between both legal teams.

Netanyahu’s testimony yesterday marked a striking shift from his opening day in court, where he had focused on touting his political accomplishments and criticizing the Obama administration’s push for Palestinian statehood.

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