Mandelblit to take the witness stand in Netanyahu trial: what to expect in the hearing

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will take the witness stand tomorrow in the Netanyahu corruption cases, after the court rejected his request to postpone his testimony. The defense is expected to confront him over investigation failures, use of spyware, and lack of approvals. The testimony will last seven days.

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit will take the witness stand tomorrow (Sunday) at the Jerusalem District Court in the Netanyahu corruption cases, after the court rejected all his postponement requests. Mandelblit signed and filed the indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and will now have to answer defense questions. During his testimony, which will span seven days, the defense is expected to confront him with claims about discrepancies in the phone location data of state witness Shlomo Filber, use of spyware against Filber and Netanyahu's circle, improper investigation tactics, and missing approvals to open the investigation. The judges have previously expressed doubts about the bribery charge in the case. Unlike senior police officers who recently testified and claimed memory problems, Mandelblit, as head of the system, bears direct responsibility for decisions. In 2021, he submitted a memo to the court claiming all approvals were given lawfully, but this claim will be tested in the upcoming hearings.