Senior Prosecutor Says Judges' Recommendation to Drop Bribery Charge Against Netanyahu Requires Rethink

A senior official in the Israeli prosecution commented on Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman's recommendation to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000 involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official said the recommendation "requires recalculating the course," noting it had been considered before but now carries new weight following Netanyahu's testimony. This was reported on Monday evening during the "Binyamini and Guetta" program on Kan News.

Judge Friedman-Feldman, from the Jerusalem District Court, made her remarks after the judges in June 2023 first advised the prosecution to drop the bribery charge against Netanyahu and maintain only the breach of trust charges in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000. She reaffirmed this position after hearing Netanyahu's testimony during a hearing focused on extending defense witness days to five per week.

Netanyahu's defense lawyer, Amit Hadad, objected to the proposed schedule, saying it was impossible to hold four days of hearings weekly due to preparation constraints and legal work-hour limits. Hadad warned this would delay the trial until at least March or September 2028 and could force him to withdraw from the defense due to the unfair conditions.

Netanyahu, who was not required to attend the hearing but was granted permission to speak, relayed that Hadad had told him the defense team could not provide adequate representation under such a schedule and implied he might resign. Netanyahu highlighted the prosecution's large team compared to his small defense.

Last week, Netanyahu concluded his testimony in Case 4000, ending a year-and-a-half-long defense investigation. He criticized the trial as "vile, false, and malicious," condemned the use of Pegasus spyware against many citizens, and claimed the investigations aimed not only to violate individual rights but to prevent the public from electing him as leader, effectively seeking to topple him.

The prosecution's senior official's remarks underscore the evolving legal dynamics following Netanyahu's testimony and the judiciary's reconsideration of charges in this high-profile case.