Head to head in court: Netanyahu considers attending the unusual hearing with the Attorney General

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering attending in person the unusual court hearing to which Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has been summoned, after the judges rejected her objection. The background: the difficulties in proving the bribery charge in Case 4000 and the possibility that the issue will be raised again.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering attending in person an unusual court hearing to which Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has been summoned. The hearing is set for 9:30 AM, and Netanyahu is weighing attendance to meet directly with the Attorney General and the judges and to demonstrate the importance of the decisions. Behind the decision are difficulties raised by the judges in proving the bribery charge in Case 4000. As early as June 2023, they recommended that the prosecution consider withdrawing the bribery charge, and in June of this year they reiterated the difficulty. The prosecution did not accept the recommendation, and the charge remains in place. The comments do not concern the cancellation of Case 4000 in its entirety, in which Netanyahu is also charged with fraud and breach of trust. The judges may ask the Attorney General to reconsider the prosecution's position regarding the bribery charge. Waiving the charge could reduce the number of defense witnesses and shorten the trial, but the judges have not indicated that this is the purpose of the summons.