Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit arrived at the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday to take the witness stand in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial.
During his testimony, Mandelblit confirmed that he had not authorized all police actions in the Netanyahu cases and addressed the possibility that police had acted behind his back.
Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, asked Mandelblit whether he had previously told anyone that “the police were acting behind his back." Mandelblit replied: “It could be."
He later confirmed that he had not given approval for every investigative action carried out by police in the Netanyahu cases, but clarified that, from his perspective, specific authorization was not required for each individual step. “That was perfectly fine as far as I was concerned. I wanted to hear about the main actions," he explained.
During his testimony, Mandelblit also expressed reservations about being summoned to the witness stand, saying: “In my opinion, a prosecutor should not come and testify."
He also described how he prepared for his testimony: “I have a fairly good memory of what happened in this case. I tried to locate articles on the internet that seemed relevant to me. I also met with a lawyer for a brief two-hour meeting."
Upon his arrival ahead of his testimony, a verbal confrontation ensued, as Attorney Kinneret Barashi shouted at him, "You owe the public an answer."
At the start of the hearing, Mandelblit accused journalist Ayala Hasson of assaulting him as he entered the courtroom. Hasson responded: "He is slandering me. I did not attack him; I asked politely."
The former Attorney General stated: "Unfortunately, I am in a place where I am not insulated from harassment and questions. A journalist comes and throws false allegations at me that I can't respond to."
With two weeks left until the elections, Mandelblit was summoned to testify on behalf of the defense, and his testimony is likely to continue after election day.
From the outset of the trial, Netanyahu's defense team had announced their intentions to summon Mandelblit, who served as Attorney General when it was decided to prosecute the Prime Minister. The defense team seeks to allot seven trial days to his testimony, after which the prosecution is expected to cross-examine him.
Mandelblit’s testimony is unusual because a former attorney general is being called to testify in proceedings he dealt with as part of his official duties. Former Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has already testified in the trial, but his testimony was given in connection with his previous role as Netanyahu’s private attorney.
One of the central issues the defense is expected to focus on is the claims regarding the lack of approvals required to open an investigation against the Prime Minister as dictated in Basic Law: The Government. At the same time, the Attorney General's Office and Prosecutor's Office claim that the measures were taken lawfully.
The defense's interrogation is expected to focus not only on the approvals. Netanyahu's defense attorney, Amit Hadad, is expected to question Mandelblit about claims of pressure applied to him by the State Prosecutor at the time and other officials.
Mandelblit initially requested to postpone his testimony to November. He expressed wonder at the fact that he was summoned at the last moment, during the holiday season, and noted in his request that his new position as Dean of the Law Faculty at Ramat Gan Academic College demands much preparation ahead of the academic year. However, the judges denied his request.