Netanyahu Trial: Ex-AG Mandelblit Spars With Defense Over Indictment Signatures

During his testimony in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit engaged in a heated exchange with Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, over the signatures on the original and amended indictments.

Haddad presented both documents to Mandelblit, questioning the authenticity of the signature on the amended indictment. Mandelblit admitted he did not recall signing the amended document but rejected Haddad's assertion that someone else had signed it or that the signature was taken from the original. He stated his testimony was based on memory, not speculation, and that he had a clear recollection of signing the original indictment.

Mandelblit confirmed that the decision to indict Netanyahu was his and that he had read the amended indictment months prior. He also acknowledged that provisions of the law, such as those requiring his consent to investigate a prime minister, are intended to prevent the persecution of a sitting premier. The former AG stated that while he oversaw investigations, not every single police action was brought to him for approval, though he expected to be informed of major steps.

The proceedings saw heated arguments between the defense and prosecution, leading to Mandelblit being temporarily removed from the courtroom. Haddad pressed Mandelblit on the number of meetings held during the investigations, to which Mandelblit responded "dozens," not necessarily weekly. The defense also raised questions about whether police acted behind Mandelblit's back, which he said was "possible."

Mandelblit testified that while he supervised the investigations, he did not personally approve every action taken by the police, admitting that some actions were carried out without his explicit consent, though he characterized them as not numerous and not necessarily severe. He emphasized the need for special oversight when investigating a prime minister to balance the duty to investigate suspicions with preventing undue harm to an elected official.