The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday rejected the Prosecutor's demand and allowed the submission of an opinion by the defense that child sexual abuse suspect Malka Leifer is not fit to stand trial, Maariv reported.
Other defense witnesses are expected to give testimony soon.
The defense has claimed that the opinion of a panel of medical experts which declared Leifer fit to stand trial had "significant cracks," leading to the court's decision to allow the opinion to be submitted.
Attorneys Tal Gabbai and Yehuda Fried said: "We believe this was the decision which should have been made, and it is a shame that the Prosecutor attempted to trample Leifer's rights and fight her request. We are prepared for a hearing in court. All sides must act responsibly and completely end all attempts to bring in political campaigns which are intended to place pressure on the court and harm the considerations of justice and the Israeli court system."
Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Yisrael girl’s school in Melbourne, fled Australia in 2008 shortly before she was formally indicted on child molestation charges. She eventually moved to the town of Emmanuel, in Samaria, where she was later arrested.
Two years ago, the Jerusalem District Court ruled that Leifer could not be extradited due to her alleged mental illness.
In July 2019, a medical committee declared that Leifer had faked mental illness in order to avoid trial, and that the medical documents declaring her unfit may have been forged.
Australia has pressed Israel to extradite Leifer, including calls by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who urged Israel to “transparently and quickly” extradite her.