Ex-Attorney General Mandelblit to Testify in Netanyahu Trial

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is scheduled to testify on Sunday in the trial of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Mandelblit, who initiated the investigation into Netanyahu a decade ago and decided to indict him seven years ago, was summoned as a defense witness by Netanyahu's lawyers, Amit Haddad and Noa Milstein. The defense is expected to focus on whether all investigative actions against the Prime Minister were conducted with Mandelblit's approval and knowledge.

Netanyahu is also expected to attend the hearing, as he has for previous testimonies of former confidants and state witnesses like Nir Hefetz and Shlomo Filber. The defense requested seven days of testimony for Mandelblit, though it is uncertain if all will be utilized, as the discussion on investigation approvals might conclude sooner.

The court previously rejected several defense requests to call prosecution witnesses, but approved Mandelblit's summons due to the significance of his testimony regarding the approval of the investigation against the Prime Minister. Another key issue expected to arise is the investigative tactic used against state witness Nir Hefetz, which involved summoning his wife and an associate for questioning. The defense intends to question Mandelblit on his past directive to the head of Lahav 433 not to question the investigators themselves but to examine the tactic through documents only.

Mandelblit's testimony will thus center on two main points: the approvals granted for investigative actions against the Prime Minister and the examination process of the investigative tactic employed against Hefetz.