Former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit began testifying as a defense witness in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial on Sunday, with Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in the courtroom.
Netanyahu has rarely attended other witnesses' hearings, and this was Sa’ar’s first time attending a hearing in the trial.
Mandelblit authorized investigations into Netanyahu and later decided to indict him in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000. His testimony is expected to focus on whether police investigators stayed within the scope of the approvals he gave, a question the defense has raised throughout the trial.
Netanyahu’s trial, which began in May 2020, combines three cases. In Case 1000, prosecutors allege that Netanyahu and his family received gifts from wealthy businessmen. Case 2000 centers on recorded conversations with Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes about a possible exchange: more favorable coverage for Netanyahu in the newspaper in return for steps to curb the rival Israel Hayom. In Case 4000, prosecutors allege that Netanyahu advanced regulatory measures benefiting Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla news site.
Netanyahu faces fraud and breach-of-trust charges in Cases 1000 and 2000, and bribery, fraud, and breach-of-trust charges in Case 4000. He denies wrongdoing.
Basic Law requires A-G consent for investigation against prime minister
Under Basic Law: The Government, a criminal investigation against a sitting prime minister requires the attorney-general’s consent.
Netanyahu’s lawyers argue that investigators went beyond the scope of Mandelblit’s consent and have challenged evidence obtained through those steps.
Prosecutors dispute the defense’s account, saying Mandelblit approved the investigations, including inquiries into gifts to Netanyahu.
A central issue is how Mandelblit gave and recorded those approvals. Mandelblit gave them orally during meetings with police officials; the Justice Ministry minutes documented them rather than issuing separate written authorizations. Judges have previously criticized that procedure. The court allowed Mandelblit to testify because his account is relevant to the dispute over what the police were authorized to investigate.
The defense requested seven days of testimony: October 11 and 12, followed by October 18-22, in the final stretch before the October 27 election. The judges may limit the questioning and may not need all seven days.