Israeli Judges Recommend Dropping Bribery Charge Against Netanyahu, Prosecutors Face Dilemma

During a court hearing on June 29, 2026, the judges presiding over former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial reaffirmed their recommendation to remove the bribery charge from Case 4000. Presiding Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman stated that their position, initially expressed on June 20, 2023, remains unchanged despite extensive testimony and cross-examination. The judges concluded that the bribery charge does not hold up based on the indictment and evidence presented.

Legal experts see this as a significant development. Attorney Ofer Bartal, a white-collar crime specialist, explained that the judges’ statement signals they do not intend to convict Netanyahu of bribery, as no further evidence can now convince them otherwise. Meanwhile, attorney Ilan Bombach, representing Netanyahu in related Supreme Court petitions, urged the prosecution to heed the court’s advice and reconsider the charge. He criticized the prosecution for failing to learn from procedural and investigative flaws and warned against clinging to the bribery charge simply due to the case’s high profile.

Bombach highlighted that the bribery charge is the prosecution’s flagship accusation, and its collapse would leave the case significantly weakened. He recalled that former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit had previously declined to indict Netanyahu over gifts like cigars and champagne, implying that dropping the bribery charge would remove the core of the prosecution’s case. Bartal noted that the prosecution is not obligated to follow the judges’ recommendation and could appeal to the Supreme Court to maintain the charge, but Bombach argued that continuing the bribery charge without sufficient evidence would be unjust and harmful to the judicial system.

The judges’ reaffirmation places the prosecution at a crossroads: either amend the indictment to reflect the court’s findings or risk prolonging a trial whose central allegation no longer convinces the judges. The decision on whether to drop the bribery charge is expected soon, marking a critical moment in Netanyahu’s ongoing legal battle.