Netanyahu Defense Seeks 5 Extra Days for Ex-AG Mandelblit Testimony

The defense team for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested an additional five days of testimony from former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in the ongoing corruption trial. Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, stated that Mandelblit's testimony would likely extend beyond the requested period. The defense's request comes as Mandelblit's testimony, now in its fifth day, focuses on the authorization of the investigation into Case 1000, which involves allegations of receiving gifts. The defense has argued that the police conducted investigative actions without Mandelblit's approval, a claim both the prosecution and Mandelblit himself have denied.

Mandelblit testified that recordings were presented to him to justify opening the investigation, but he could not recall their content or who was recorded. He described the information as the "tip of the iceberg" that eventually led to Case 1000, suggesting it presented an inaccurate picture. He also stated that he would not have initiated a criminal investigation against the Prime Minister based on matters like champagne or cigars from a decade prior, implying that further evidence, such as the testimony of Hadas Klein, revealed a "supply line" rather than isolated incidents.

During his testimony, Mandelblit also addressed suspicions he held about leaks from within the prosecution and police, which he believed were intended to pressure him to advance investigations against the Prime Minister. This follows previous testimony from retired Sub-Commissioner Eran Kamin regarding significant details about connections with journalist Ben Caspit during the investigation phases. When questioned by Judge Moshe Baram about whether he yielded to pressure, Mandelblit responded that he was "very cautious." Mandelblit's testimony began on October 12, seven years after an indictment was filed against Netanyahu and ten years after an initial review of his affairs was announced.