Jerusalem Court Judges Urge Dropping Netanyahu Bribery Charge in Case 4000

Political commentator Amit Segal addressed the dramatic developments in former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial on Monday, focusing on the judges' renewed recommendation to the prosecution to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000. Segal described the event as "dramatic," noting that recent narratives suggesting Netanyahu's testimony complicated his defense and increased his risk of conviction were contradicted by the judges' stance. The judges stated that dropping the bribery charge would save significant time and that continuing with the charge would be a waste of resources.

Segal criticized the Attorney General, saying she is motivated by political opposition rather than justice or efficiency. He asserted that no scenario exists in which the prosecution's case would improve after Netanyahu's testimony, and that the decision not to drop the charge reflects political considerations rather than legal ones.

The judges of the Jerusalem District Court, including Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham, reiterated their suggestion to the prosecution to forgo the bribery charge after both sides opposed the proposal to hear the case five days a week. This recommendation was first made in a June 20, 2023 meeting after hearing much of the testimony in Case 4000. The Attorney General rejected this and a proposal for criminal mediation at that time.

The prosecution believed it had sufficient evidence to prove bribery and expected Netanyahu's testimony to strengthen their case. However, the judges stated after hearing Netanyahu's testimony that their position remained unchanged from June 2023, indicating they were not convinced the testimony aided the prosecution. They urged the prosecution to drop the bribery charge against Netanyahu to streamline the trial process.