Netanyahu Trial Judges Order Attorney General to Appear for Hearing

The judges presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial have ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to attend a hearing on November 18th, seeking a "purposeful bilateral dialogue." This decision was made despite Baharav-Miara's position that her legal team is authorized to represent her and convey necessary information.

The judges stated that Baharav-Miara's personal appearance would add value, allowing the decision-maker to directly hear arguments and respond. The hearing aims to explore with authorized representatives of the parties various options for managing and advancing the legal proceedings concerning Netanyahu. The possibility of a closed-door session will be considered if necessary.

Last week, the judges, Presiding Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman and Judges Oded Shacham and Moshe Baram, indicated they were considering summoning Baharav-Miara. This followed a request from the defense, including attorneys the Defense Attorney and Amit Haddad, after the testimony of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

The judges' move comes against the backdrop of their previously expressed concerns about the difficulty of proving bribery charges in Case 4000, suggesting the prosecution might reconsider that specific charge. Netanyahu also faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in the same indictment.

Yehudit Tirosh, head of the prosecution team, argued during a hearing that the Attorney General appearing in court while senior prosecutors are present sets an incorrect precedent for the prosecution system. She affirmed that the prosecutors present are authorized and trusted to convey the proceedings. Tirosh also noted that the Attorney General and State Prosecutor's offices are always open, and they had agreed to the President's request, which the defendant did not accept.