Mandelblit admitted a contradiction – and then came the judge's unusual question

During the cross-examination of Avichai Mandelblit in the Netanyahu trial, attorney Amit Hadad presented a document contradicting his testimony. Mandelblit acknowledged the contradiction, and Judge Moshe Bar-Am intervened with an unusual question: are your oral statements or the written document correct?

An unusual moment occurred today (Monday) during the cross-examination of former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Attorney Amit Hadad presented a document that he claimed contradicted the witness's answers regarding the date when the investigation of Netanyahu under caution in Case 2000 was approved. Mandelblit acknowledged a gap between the statements but clarified that he stands by his current memory. Judge Moshe Bar-Am intervened and asked: "Is what you just said correct, or what is written?" Mandelblit replied: "What I just said." The defense attorney continued to press the witness, seeking to understand how it is possible that the formal approval to investigate Netanyahu under caution in Case 2000 appears in writing only on January 5, 2017, while Mandelblit insists that the decision was made earlier. The article notes that the legal significance of the confrontation casts doubt on the reliability of the witness's memory and the legal basis for the investigation of Case 2000.