Former AG Mandelblit Denies Pressure in Netanyahu Case Decisions

Avichai Mandelblit, the former Attorney General, stated during his testimony in the Netanyahu trial that he was not influenced by any pressure when making decisions regarding the cases against Benjamin Netanyahu. He acknowledged, however, that some investigative actions were taken without his approval or exceeded the scope of his authorization.

Mandelblit asserted, "No decision I made stemmed from pressure. All my decisions were based on my professional judgment. Law enforcement officials approached me and did not exert any pressure. It is their right and duty to express their opinions if they believe an investigation should be opened."

He further explained that while law enforcement agencies might express desires or suggest certain investigative directions, the ultimate decisions rested solely on his professional assessment, unaffected by media or external pressure. Mandelblit noted that police can sometimes be overzealous, stating, "Usually, the police are galloping horses, sometimes they exaggerate, and that's natural."

Regarding Case 1000, Mandelblit mentioned he initially had a different opinion and felt uncomfortable with the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's office handling the case, leading him to request a change. He described attempts to advance directions he disagreed with and expressed discomfort with potential leaks to the media from that office, though he had no proof.

Mandelblit also commented on the investigation into meetings between the former CEO of Walla and Netanyahu, calling it "a problem." This followed his October 2017 approval to investigate only the motives of Filber, then Director General of the Ministry of Communications, in his actions. Mandelblit confirmed that several actions, including examining coverage on Walla, went beyond his initial approval, stating, "That is not right."

He also revealed he was unaware that the communications of the former CEO of Walla, Ilan Yeshua, were obtained via a warrant in the Bezeq case without his explicit approval, even though the search directly concerned Netanyahu. Mandelblit insisted that if he had approved Netanyahu's interrogation under caution, it would have been explicitly stated what the investigation pertained to.

Describing the suspicion in Case 4000, Mandelblit explained that Netanyahu was suspected of controlling the Walla website, viewing it as a significant tool for election influence. He elaborated that the website was held by a businessman who allegedly used it to gain regulatory benefits from the Prime Minister, who also served as Communications Minister, in exchange for favorable coverage.

Mandelblit stated he relied on the prosecution's presentations regarding the investigation, including the website's coverage. When questioned by Judge Moshe Bar-Am about whether the investigation included examining the website, Mandelblit confirmed it. Lawyer Amit Haddad challenged this, asking if any Walla article was presented to Netanyahu before the indictment, to which Mandelblit responded he was unaware if it was or wasn't. He recalled discussions where the website was described as hostile to Netanyahu, but he relied on the information provided by the prosecution.