Israel's Supreme Court Rejects Ex-Defense Minister's Bid to Force Decision on Netanyahu's Wife

Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday summarily dismissed a petition filed by former Defense Minister Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon. Ya'alon had sought to compel the State Prosecutor's Office to decide on suspicions that Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, allegedly harassed witnesses in the Netanyahu corruption trial. The petition was filed after the investigation file was transferred from the police to the prosecution in April, with Ya'alon arguing that an unreasonable amount of time had passed without a decision.

Justice Khaled Kabub ruled that the court does not typically intervene in the pace of law enforcement agencies' work, provided investigations are handled within a reasonable timeframe. The state had explained the delay by citing the case's complexity, involving numerous factual and legal aspects that required extensive evidence gathering and careful review. The court accepted this explanation.

Kabub further noted that Ya'alon had not presented sufficient legal or factual grounds to justify the court's extraordinary intervention. He also pointed out that Ya'alon had not contacted the authorities again before filing the petition, despite a previous response from them on June 22, 2026. The court decided not to impose legal costs on Ya'alon, partly as a gesture of goodwill since the respondents' arguments were not formally requested.

The ruling does not address the merits of the allegations against Sara Netanyahu but solely concerns Ya'alon's request to force the prosecution's hand at this stage.