Senior Prosecutor Says Judges' Recommendation to Drop Bribery Charge in Netanyahu Case Requires Rethink

A senior official in the Israeli prosecution service responded on Monday to the judges' recommendation in the Benjamin Netanyahu trial to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000 (Walla-Bezeq). The official stated that the recommendation "requires recalculating the course of action," noting that while this possibility existed before, it now carries different weight following Netanyahu's testimony.

The Jerusalem District Court judges, including Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham, reiterated their suggestion that the prosecution drop the bribery charge. This proposal came after both the prosecution and defense opposed hearing the case five days a week, effectively serving as an alternative to shorten the trial.

The judges first expressed this view during a June 20, 2023 meeting with representatives from both sides after hearing much of the testimony in Case 4000. At that time, the Attorney General rejected the proposal, as well as a suggestion to pursue criminal mediation. The prosecution believed it had sufficient evidence to prove bribery and expected Netanyahu's testimony to strengthen its case.

However, the judges' stance following Netanyahu's testimony indicates they were not convinced it aided the prosecution. They stated, "After hearing the Prime Minister's testimony, our position remains as it was in June 2023." This development signals a significant challenge for the prosecution's case moving forward.