developing· Security· Updated 19:29

Netanyahu Trial: Ex-AG Mandelblit's Testimony Reveals Key Discrepancies

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified on Tuesday in the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating he does not recall explicitly authorizing a bribery investigation in Case 4000. Mandelblit acknowledged that while he approved investigating Netanyahu for public integrity offenses and breach of trust, he could not remember if the word bribery was included in the formal warning given to the Prime Minister.

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Netanyahu Trial: Ex-AG Mandelblit's Testimony Reveals Key Discrepancies — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified on Tuesday that he does not recall explicitly authorizing a bribery investigation in Case 4000.
02Defense attorney Amit Haddad argued that the formal warning issued to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Case 4000 omitted the word bribery.
03Haddad accused the prosecution of filing the indictment against Netanyahu with foreign motives to achieve a regime change.
04Prosecutor Judith Tirosh rejected claims of political bias, stating the case was built strictly on evidence by diverse legal professionals.
05Mandelblit testified that he authorized investigations into Netanyahu for public integrity offenses and breach of trust.
06The defense presented a heavily redacted document from February 2018 to challenge the scope of the investigation approvals.
07The Jerusalem District Court judges stated they would consider claims of extraneous prosecution motives if factually supported.

Defense attorney Amit Haddad argued that Mandelblit never approved a bribery probe and presented documents to show that police acted against the former Attorney General's stance. Haddad asserted that the term public integrity was absent from meeting records and accused the prosecution of filing the indictment to cause a regime change. Prosecutor Judith Tirosh rejected these claims, stating the prosecution acted solely on evidence and represented a broad spectrum of Israeli society.

The defense also questioned Mandelblit about alleged remarks regarding Netanyahu potentially leading a state coup. The Jerusalem District Court judges, who previously suggested dropping the bribery charge in Case 4000, indicated they would examine claims of extraneous considerations if supported by factual evidence. The trial, which began in May 2020, involves allegations of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery across three cases.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 8 newsrooms. Updated 19:51

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