Criticism Mounts Over Accelerated Netanyahu Trial Schedule Forcing Legal Teams to Work on Shabbat

Last week, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lengthy testimony, the judicial panel overseeing his trial decided to accelerate proceedings to five days a week. This decision was made partly due to concerns that the presiding judge, Rebecca Friedman-Feldman, might not complete the verdict before her expected retirement in March 2028.

This morning, i24NEWS legal correspondent Avishai Grinstein sharply criticized the move, highlighting that it effectively compels both defense attorneys and prosecutors to work on Shabbat, despite the presiding judge being religious. Grinstein called the decision "absurd from every angle," noting it was imposed on the defense without prior notice after years of a different schedule. He emphasized that lawyers have other cases and personal lives, making such a sudden change unreasonable and disruptive.

Grinstein stressed that preparing witnesses and questions outside court hours will inevitably require work on Shabbat. He suggested that if he represented a defendant, he would formally request the court to acknowledge that the trial schedule overrides Shabbat observance. He also cited former Judge Noam Solberg, who ruled that judicial decisions cannot impose deadlines forcing parties to work on Shabbat. Grinstein doubted the feasibility of holding five-day weeks consistently, calling it another flawed decision by the panel.

Additionally, Grinstein criticized the Israeli Bar Association for failing to defend lawyers' rights in this matter, accusing it of prioritizing unrelated political petitions over protecting its members, especially those representing politically unpopular clients like Netanyahu. He quoted a district court judge who agreed that such a schedule is unprecedented and unfair, suggesting it applies uniquely to Netanyahu's case.

Despite Netanyahu's testimony concluding, he is expected to appear today at the Jerusalem District Court to urge judges to reconsider the accelerated five-day trial schedule. Although his testimony was heard in Tel Aviv due to security concerns, the upcoming hearing will take place in Jerusalem.