Full Breakdown
Netanyahu Trial Hearings Resume with Former Attorney-General Testifying
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The criminal trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed this week as former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit returned to the witness stand to testify for the defense. Mandelblit confirmed that he had approved the investigations that led to the three combined cases—known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000—but could not recall whether he had explicitly authorized the inclusion of a bribery allegation in the formal warning issued to Netanyahu in Case 4000. When asked which suspected offense he had authorized, Mandelblit referred broadly to “public integrity offenses,” distinguishing the bribery focus of Case 4000 from the other two cases.
Background & Context
The trial, which began in May 2020, consolidates three separate investigations:
- Case 1000 – alleged receipt of gifts from wealthy businessmen.
- Case 2000 – alleged discussion of favorable media coverage in exchange for actions against rival newspaper *Israel Hayom* with publisher Arnon Mozes of *Yediot Aharonot*.
- Case 4000 – alleged regulatory benefits for telecom company Bezeq in return for intervention in coverage of the news portal Walla.
Netanyahu faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in all three cases, and an additional charge of bribery in Case 4000. He has denied any wrongdoing. The other defendants include former Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch, his wife Iris Elovitch, and publisher Arnon Mozes.
Official Statements & Responses
Defense lawyer Amit Hadad challenged Mandelblit’s description, asserting that the term “public integrity” does not appear in the meeting records or in the warnings given to Netanyahu, and suggested that Mandelblit may have borrowed the wording from a memorandum he submitted to the court. Prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh responded that the phrasing might exist in redacted portions of the records, but emphasized that no documents concerning the attorney-general’s approvals had been redacted. Judge Moshe Bar-Am indicated that, in his view, any wording describing the nature of the investigation would not have been blacked out. In his testimony, Mandelblit acknowledged that police investigators sometimes acted beyond the approvals he granted, but rejected the defense’s implication that external pressure from prosecutors, police or the media influenced his decisions.
Data & Statistics
- Charges: Fraud, breach of trust (all three cases); bribery (Case 4000).
- Defendants: Benjamin Netanyahu, Shaul Elovitch, Iris Elovitch, Arnon Mozes.
- Trial Start: May 2020; hearings resumed after a pause.
Why It Matters
The proceedings test the limits of legal accountability for a sitting prime minister and raise questions about the independence of investigative authorities in high-profile corruption cases. The outcome could shape public trust in Israel’s judicial system and influence political dynamics ahead of upcoming elections.