Kikar HaShabbatPolitics15:40

Jerusalem Court Orders Attorney General to Appear in Netanyahu Trial

By כיכר השבת, משה כהן

Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba

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Hebrew · 19 newsrooms covering

Jerusalem District Court judges have mandated Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to attend a special hearing in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's criminal trial, overriding her objection. The court seeks direct dialogue with the decision-maker to discuss trial proceedings and advancement. This order follows the Attorney General's initial stance that her personal appearance was unnecessary, a position contested by the prosecution team. The possibility of a closed session hearing will be considered.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Jerusalem judges ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to attend Netanyahu's trial hearing.
The court seeks direct dialogue with the Attorney General for trial advancement.
Baharav-Miara had previously opposed a personal court appearance.
The prosecution team's representatives were deemed insufficient for the discussion.
The possibility of a closed-door session will be considered.

Jerusalem Court Orders Attorney General to Appear in Netanyahu Trial — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Judges at the Jerusalem District Court have ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to personally attend a special hearing concerning the ongoing criminal trial of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. This decision comes despite Baharav-Miara's stated opposition to appearing in court, as she had indicated she saw no need for her personal presence and trusted the prosecution team to represent her. The court, however, found that the presence of prosecution representatives was insufficient for the planned discussion.

The judges explained their reasoning, stating that a "two-sided, substantive dialogue" requires the "person responsible for decision-making" to hear matters directly and respond as needed. They emphasized a desire for direct engagement with the Attorney General, rather than relying solely on the prosecution team to convey information. This directive follows a previous hearing where prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh argued against Baharav-Miara's attendance, asserting that the Attorney General was already acting through authorized legal representatives who kept her updated.

Tirosh had also stated that the Attorney General's appearance alongside the prosecution team would be an "incorrect process" for the prosecution system's work procedures in Israel. However, she had left open the possibility of direct dialogue with the Attorney General and the State Attorney if the court sought to explore a resolution or agreement to advance the proceedings.

The court's new order reiterates the necessity of Baharav-Miara's personal appearance to examine options for managing the trial and its advancement. The judges did not mandate that the parties reach a settlement or alter the trial's proceedings, but rather focused on the hearing itself and the Attorney General's attendance. The court's secretariat will inform the parties' legal representatives of the scheduled date. The possibility of holding the hearing in closed session will be considered if necessary.