Former AG Mandelblit's Testimony Causes Laughter in Netanyahu Trial

An unusual moment occurred in the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday during the testimony of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mandelblit admitted during direct examination that the wording of the warning issued to Netanyahu in Case 2000 did not align with the suspicions being investigated in the affair, a statement that subsequently drew laughter from the courtroom.

The incident unfolded after Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Haddad, presented Mandelblit with the warning given to the Prime Minister on January 5, 2017. The warning stated that Netanyahu was suspected of unlawfully requesting and receiving favors from businessmen. However, Haddad argued that the core of the investigation in this case revolved around conversations between Netanyahu and Arnon (Noni) Mozes, owner of Yedioth Ahronoth, concerning media coverage and the distribution of the newspaper Israel Hayom.

Mandelblit responded "not suitable" when Haddad pressed him on whether the warning's wording matched the case's suspicions. When asked if he had alerted anyone to this flaw, Mandelblit replied, "Correct, I was not aware of it." These remarks prompted immediate reactions and laughter from the judges.

Haddad also pointed out that subsequent interrogations of Netanyahu in January and March 2017 did not include a revised warning, which the defense contended should have clarified the specific suspicions. The defense sought to demonstrate a discrepancy between the initial warning and the factual basis for the final indictment. Prosecution representatives objected to linking the initial warning to the final indictment, asserting that Mandelblit had already authorized the investigation into all conversations and recordings central to the case.