Light Moment in Netanyahu Trial as Former AG Mandelblit Jokingly Responds
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
During Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit responded with "bli neder" (God willing) when asked if prosecution officials sought his approval for wiretapping Natan Eshel, stating he didn't recall. Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, quipped "We are in court," eliciting a smile from Mandelblit. The exchange occurred amidst disputes over wiretap approvals, with the defense presenting correspondence seeking confirmation of Mandelblit's authorization.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Former AG Mandelblit stated he doesn't recall prosecution asking for wiretap approval confirmation.
- Netanyahu's lawyer Haddad's "We are in court" remark drew a smile from Mandelblit.
- The exchange happened during the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The defense presented correspondence seeking the AG's wiretap approval for Natan Eshel.
- Mandelblit testified the wiretap was never brought to his prior approval.
A brief, humorous exchange occurred during the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit was questioned by Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad. Haddad asked Mandelblit if any prosecution officials had contacted him to verify his approval for wiretapping Natan Eshel. Mandelblit responded that he did not recall such a request and added the phrase "bli neder" (God willing).
Haddad, seizing the moment, remarked, "We are in court," prompting a smile from the former Attorney General. This lighthearted interaction took place amidst sharp disputes concerning wiretaps and approvals granted to police investigators.
The exchange followed Haddad presenting official correspondence from 2024 between the defense team and the prosecution. In these messages, the defense sought information on where to find the Attorney General's approval for the wiretap on Natan Eshel's phone lines. The prosecution indicated they had contacted relevant parties but had not yet received a substantive response.
Haddad directly addressed Mandelblit, asking if he was among the individuals contacted by the prosecution to confirm his approval. Mandelblit reiterated that he had no recollection of any such inquiry. The defense continued to probe whether the prosecution or any officials from the Attorney General's office had proactively sought this information, to which Mandelblit replied, "I don't remember anything like that," before adding "bli neder."
Haddad's retort, "We are in court," was a pointed reminder that Mandelblit was testifying under oath. The transcript noted Mandelblit smiled at the lawyer's remark. This brief moment of levity stood out against the tense backdrop of the hearing, where Haddad repeatedly clashed with prosecution representatives over the legality of investigative actions.
Earlier in the proceedings, heated exchanges also occurred when prosecutor Yonatan Tzadmor objected to Haddad's questions regarding the correspondence. Haddad insisted that Mandelblit answer independently, without indirect input from the prosecution. Judge Moshe Bar-Am commented, "If it's relevant," while Haddad protested, "Maybe they did contact him? How do we know?" Judge Oded Shacham intervened to calm the situation when Haddad became agitated about the prosecution's request for specific dates of correspondence.
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