Shas Leader Aryeh Deri Blasts Attorney General Galit Baharav-Miara as 'Anarchist' Over Netanyahu Bribery Charge Drop

Aryeh Deri, chairman of the Shas party, sharply criticized Attorney General Galit Baharav-Miara on Monday following a judicial recommendation to drop the bribery charge in the Netanyahu 4000 case. Deri accused Baharav-Miara of undermining public trust in the judicial system and continuing a politically motivated prosecution despite judges' repeated calls to dismiss the bribery allegation. He stated, "In any proper country, she would be immediately removed, but when the Attorney General acts as the de facto opposition leader, anything goes."

The Jerusalem District Court judges, including Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham, reiterated their suggestion to the prosecution to forgo the bribery charge in case 4000. This recommendation came after both prosecution and defense opposed hearing the case five days a week, making the proposal a way to shorten the trial. The judges first expressed this view in a June 20, 2023 meeting with the parties, after hearing much of the testimony.

At that time, the Attorney General rejected the proposal and also declined to pursue criminal mediation. The prosecution believed it had sufficient evidence to prove bribery and expected that Netanyahu's testimony would strengthen their case. However, after hearing Netanyahu's testimony, the judges stated they remained unconvinced that it aided the prosecution, affirming their June 2023 position. This development adds to the ongoing drama in the Netanyahu trial, with senior prosecution officials reportedly causing further upheaval.