Netanyahu Trial: Judges Order Attorney General to Appear Despite Objections

In an unusual development in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, the Jerusalem District Court judges on Thursday ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to appear for a hearing on the continuation of the proceedings. The judges' decision came despite Baharav-Miara's opposition, just one day after the State Prosecutor's Office announced she did not intend to attend the courtroom. The prosecution argued that the senior prosecution team handling the case was authorized to represent the Attorney General's position and that her personal appearance was not in line with customary work procedures. This move follows a request by the defense teams for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Shaul Elovitch, and it arises from substantive issues raised during the testimony of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, as well as fundamental questions regarding the future conduct of the criminal proceedings.