Zion Amir Urges President Herzog to End Netanyahu Bribery Case Following Judges' Recommendation

Attorney Zion Amir spoke on Galei Yisrael radio on Monday regarding the repeated recommendation by judges in the Netanyahu trial to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000. Amir stated that if he were President Herzog, he would immediately convene the clemency team, the Attorney General, and all relevant parties to declare that the prolonged legal saga must end. He emphasized that after years of damage to Israeli society and the economy, including five elections and billions of shekels lost, it is time to resolve the remaining issues as minor. Amir asserted that Israeli society deserves clemency and that the president has received a clear signal to act.

The Jerusalem District Court judges, Rebecca Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham, reiterated their suggestion to the prosecution to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000. This proposal came after both prosecution and defense opposed hearing the case five days a week, making it a compromise to shorten the trial. The judges first expressed this view in a June 20, 2023 meeting after hearing many witnesses. At that time, the Attorney General rejected the proposal and also declined criminal mediation. The prosecution believed it had sufficient evidence, expecting Netanyahu's testimony to strengthen their case.

However, following Netanyahu's testimony, the judges stated they remained unconvinced that his evidence aided the prosecution, maintaining their June 2023 position. Meanwhile, in related political developments, Minister Aryeh Deri sharply criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, calling her "an anarchist."