Former Attorney General Mandelblit begins testifying in Netanyahu case — Jerusalem Post
In Jerusalem, former Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit began testifying as a defense witness in the criminal case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar were present at the hearing, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Netanyahu rarely attended hearings at which other witnesses were questioned, while for Sa’ar this was his first attendance at a hearing in this trial. Mandelblit had previously authorized the investigation into Netanyahu and later decided to indict him in Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000.
Subject of the testimony
Mandelblit’s testimony is expected to focus on whether police investigators acted within the permissions he had granted. The defense has raised this issue throughout the trial. The prosecution disputes the defense’s version and maintains that Mandelblit approved the investigations, including those concerning gifts to Netanyahu.
One of the key issues is the procedure for granting and recording these permissions. According to the publication, Mandelblit gave oral permissions during meetings with police representatives, while the Justice Ministry recorded them in minutes instead of issuing separate written authorizations. The judges had previously criticized this procedure. The court allowed Mandelblit to be questioned because his testimony concerns the limits of police powers during the investigation.
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Three counts of the indictment
The trial, which began in May 2020, combines three cases. In Case 1000, the prosecution alleges that Netanyahu and his family received gifts from wealthy businessmen. Case 2000 concerns recorded conversations with Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes about a possible exchange of favorable coverage for measures against the competing outlet Israel Hayom.
In Case 4000, the prosecution alleges that Netanyahu promoted regulatory decisions benefiting Bezeq in exchange for positive coverage on the Walla news site. Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 2000, as well as bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000. He denies guilt.
The defense requested seven days for Mandelblit’s testimony — October 11–12 and 18–22. The judges may limit the duration of the questioning, so not all the requested days may be needed.
