Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday formally asked to be exempt from attending his trial this coming Sunday.
Netanyahu Attorneys Attorneys Amit Haddad and Micah Patman attacked the state prosecutor's objection to the request, saying that the prosecutor's response is not relevant and that "this is a technical debate and there is no need for the PM's presence in the courtroom."
"Furthermore, in certain circumstances, the ruling allowed for those represented by a lawyer to be absent from a substantial portion of the evidence sessions later in the trial. This is all the more so when it comes to a technical meeting, in which nothing will ever happen that requires the prime minister's presence at the hearing.
Netanyahu's attorneys further stated: "There is no escape from saying that the prosecution's response does not stem from substantive motives but rather serves to feed the media campaign to present a picture of Prime Minister Netanyahu on the defendants' bench, as a continuation of the campaign of 'anyone but Bibi."
"In case anyone does not notice, the election is over and Prime Minister Netanyahu is working vigorously as part of the unity government established to deal with the burning problems of the Corona, economy and the people's employment cycle. He will continue to do so on Sunday, before and after the court hearing," they added.