Ex-Attorney General Testifies in Netanyahu Corruption Trial

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit appeared in court on Sunday as a defense witness in the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mandelblit, who decided to indict Netanyahu in November 2019, is expected to be questioned about the approvals he granted for opening investigations into the "Cases of the Thousand." The defense is particularly focused on claims that investigative actions were conducted without the legally required authorization.

Mandelblit was summoned at the request of Netanyahu's lawyers, Amit Haddad and Noa Milstein. His testimony is scheduled to span seven non-consecutive hearing days. During this period, the defense lawyers intend to confront him with transcripts of meetings he held with police and prosecution officials during the investigations.

The core of the dispute revolves around a Basic Law: The Government provision requiring the Attorney General's consent to open a criminal investigation against a prime minister. The defense argues that police carried out investigative actions against Netanyahu without the necessary approval, while the prosecution maintains that the approvals were granted lawfully.

It emerged during the proceedings that Mandelblit's approvals were not issued in formal, separate decision documents but were given orally during work meetings with the police, as recorded in Ministry of Justice protocols. Judges have previously criticized the manner in which these approvals were granted, and Mandelblit is expected to explain which investigative actions he authorized, when these approvals were given, and whether investigators acted according to his instructions.

The defense is also expected to address a July 2016 meeting protocol where Mandelblit expressed reservations about certain lines of inquiry. The prosecution contends these remarks were made in a specific context and do not indicate a withdrawal of approval for further investigation into the "Gifts Affair," which later became Case 1000.

Prior to his appearance, Netanyahu's lawyers requested full, uncensored transcripts of discussions concerning the opening of investigations, following a dispute with the prosecution over the extent of material to be provided to the defense. This dispute could influence the questions posed to Mandelblit and the defense's ability to confront him with the complete documentation of the decision-making process for the investigations. Mandelblit had previously requested to postpone his testimony until after the Knesset elections, citing his role as dean of the law faculty at Ono Academic College as requiring his presence for the start of the academic year. The court denied this request, stating the presented reasons did not justify changing the hearing dates at that stage, though it left open the possibility of re-examining the request if the defense proposed alternative witnesses for the scheduled dates.