Netanyahu’s Defense Demands Attorney General Clarify Stance on Bribery Charge Ahead of Trial Resumption

Ahead of the intensive resumption of the high-profile trial known as the "Thousand Cases," lawyers representing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other defendants have formally requested Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to clarify her position on the bribery charge in the first indictment. This demand follows a June 2023 recommendation by the presiding judges to reconsider the bribery allegation in Case 4000, also known as the Bezeq-Walla affair, due to evidentiary difficulties. Despite this, the prosecution has maintained its original stance, prompting the defense to seek a definitive response before the trial accelerates to a rigorous schedule of five days per week starting October 2026.

The defense attorneys, Amit Hadad and Jacques Chen, submitted an official notice to the Jerusalem District Court and an urgent appeal to the Attorney General on July 22, 2026. They emphasized that the continuation of the trial under new conditions critically depends on the Attorney General’s response to the court’s recommendation. The judges, led by Rivka Friedman-Feldman, reaffirmed on September 6, 2026, that the evidentiary challenges regarding the bribery charge remain unresolved despite Netanyahu’s cross-examination and testimony.

Netanyahu’s trial, encompassing Cases 4000, 1000, and 2000, has been ongoing for several years with frequent disputes between the defense, prosecution, and judiciary over the pace and scope of proceedings. The judges’ public signaling of the evidentiary issues with the bribery charge marked a significant turning point. The defense’s current demand aims to compel the prosecution and Attorney General to either uphold the original indictment or consider dropping or reducing key charges before the trial intensifies in the fall of 2026.

In June 2023, the judges privately advised the prosecution to withdraw the bribery charge to streamline the trial, but this was rejected by Baharav-Miara and the prosecution. Now, after Netanyahu’s testimony phase, the judges have officially recorded that their position remains unchanged, underscoring the unresolved evidentiary problems with the bribery allegation. This development sets the stage for a critical decision on the indictment’s future as the trial moves into a more demanding phase.