Mandelblit and Netanyahu's Lawyer Clash in Court Over Protests
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, engaged in a tense confrontation during cross-examination. Haddad questioned Mandelblit about a statement regarding protests at his home, leading Mandelblit to ask if he was being threatened. Despite suggestions of fatigue from the prosecution and the judge, Mandelblit insisted on continuing his testimony. The exchange occurred after Haddad presented evidence of public pressure on Mandelblit during the initial Netanyahu investigations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former AG Avichai Mandelblit and PM Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Haddad clashed during court testimony.
- Haddad questioned Mandelblit about a statement concerning protests at his home.
- Mandelblit asked Haddad "Are you threatening me?" during the heated exchange.
- Prosecution and judge suggested Mandelblit was fatigued, but he insisted on continuing.
- The confrontation followed Haddad's presentation of media criticism from 2016.
A heated exchange occurred during the cross-examination of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mandelblit's composure was tested when lawyer Amit Haddad, representing Netanyahu, questioned him about a statement attributed to Mandelblit regarding protests outside his home. Haddad asked Mandelblit if he recalled wondering why right-wing activists weren't protesting near his home while left-wing activists were applying heavy pressure through demonstrations.
Mandelblit initially stated he did not remember making such a remark. However, Haddad insisted, claiming Mandelblit had indeed said it and later confirmed it. This led to a sharp retort from Mandelblit, who asked Haddad, "Are you threatening me?" Haddad's response was, "You'd better." The exchange escalated, with Mandelblit questioning the nature of the threat and Haddad implying Mandelblit's denial would be telling.
Prosecutor Jonathan Tadmor intervened, suggesting Mandelblit might be fatigued after extensive cross-examination and proposing an early end to the day's proceedings. Judge Moshe Bar-Am also acknowledged the late hour and the potential difficulty for the witness. However, Mandelblit insisted he was capable of continuing, stating, "I'm fine, thank you," with a smile.
Haddad agreed to continue the questioning, and Mandelblit emphasized his desire for a proper examination, separate from any fatigue. The confrontation stemmed from Haddad presenting media reports from 2016 criticizing Mandelblit's initial handling of investigations against Netanyahu. Haddad aimed to demonstrate that Mandelblit faced significant public and media pressure at the time, attempting to link this pressure to the alleged statement about protests at his home. Mandelblit acknowledged the pressure but maintained he did not recall making the specific statement about the protests.
