Ex-AG Mandelblit Testifies in Netanyahu Trial, Cites Memory Lapses
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified for the third time in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, stating he doesn't recall approving the term "bribery" in Case 4000. The testimony occurred a week before elections and was marked by a heated exchange between the defense and prosecution. Mandelblit's request to postpone his testimony was denied by the judges.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, stating he doesn't recall approving the term "bribery."
- Mandelblit's testimony occurred a week before elections and was his third appearance in the trial.
- A heated argument between defense lawyer Amit Haddad and prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh interrupted the proceedings.
- The judge, Rivka Friedman Feldman, intervened and called the parties to her chambers.
- Mandelblit's request to postpone his testimony until November was denied by the judges.
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified for the third time on Tuesday in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, just a week before elections. Mandelblit addressed the bribery investigation in Case 4000, stating, "There was a violation of public integrity, but I do not recall approving the word 'bribery.'" During his previous testimony last week, a heated exchange occurred between defense lawyer Amit Haddad and prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh. Haddad accused the prosecution of trapping Mandelblit, suggesting the prosecutor was personally invested in the case. Tirosh responded by calling Haddad's remarks "insolence" and asserting that the prosecution was not on trial. The judge, Rivka Friedman Feldman, interrupted the proceedings due to the argument and called the parties to the judges' chambers.
The defense team requested Mandelblit testify for approximately seven days, followed by a cross-examination by the prosecution. This marks a highly unusual situation where a former Attorney General is called to testify in a case he handled during his tenure. The court rejected Mandelblit's request to postpone his testimony until November, despite his claims of being summoned at the last minute during the holiday period and his new role as dean of the law faculty at Ono Academic College requiring extensive preparation for the academic year.
Another former Attorney General, Yehuda Weinstein, previously testified in a case, but in his capacity as Netanyahu's private attorney, not as the state's legal advisor.
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