Full Breakdown
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit Testifies in Netanyahu Corruption Trial
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Defense Witness Testimony
On October 11, 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar attended a hearing in the Jerusalem District Court where former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit began testifying as a defense witness. Mandelblit’s appearance comes a week before the scheduled October 27 testimony date and follows a request from Netanyahu’s attorneys, Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein, to question the former attorney-general about the scope of his approvals for the investigations.
Background & Context
Netanyahu’s criminal trial, which started in May 2020, consolidates three separate cases:
- Case 1000 – prosecutors allege gifts from wealthy businessmen to Netanyahu and his family.
- Case 2000 – focuses on recorded talks with publisher Arnon Mozes about exchanging favorable newspaper coverage for actions against rival Israel Hayom.
- Case 4000 – accuses Netanyahu of advancing regulatory measures that benefited telecom firm Bezeq in return 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 any wrongdoing.
Legal Arguments: Defense vs. Prosecution
Netanyahu’s lawyers argue that certain investigative steps were undertaken without Mandelblit’s explicit consent, a requirement under Israel’s Basic Law that the attorney-general must approve investigations of a sitting prime minister. They contend that police acted beyond the oral approvals Mandelblit gave during meetings, which were recorded only in Justice Ministry minutes.
Prosecutors counter that Mandelblit authorized the investigations, including the gift-related inquiries, and maintain that all investigative actions were lawful and properly sanctioned.
Data & Statistics
- Three cases (1000, 2000, 4000) combined in a single trial.
- Charges: fraud, breach-of-trust (Cases 1000/2000); bribery, fraud, breach-of-trust (Case 4000).
- Testimony schedule: defense requested seven non-consecutive days of questioning; judges may limit the scope.
What’s Next
The court will determine how many days of Mandelblit’s testimony will be permitted, and the trial will continue in the weeks leading up to the October 27 national election. Both sides are expected to intensify arguments over the legality of the investigative approvals as the proceedings progress.