The Attorney General Must Attend Netanyahu's Trial - But She Has an Additional Card

Attorney Shashi Gaz explains that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara must appear at the Netanyahu trial following an explicit court order, but she is not obligated to change the indictment or agree with the judges. He notes that she may attend and clarify that the prosecution's position remains unchanged, and that there is a theoretical possibility to petition the High Court of Justice.

Following an explicit order issued by the judges in the Netanyahu trial, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara must appear at the hearing, but she is not obligated to change the indictment or agree with the judges' position. This is clarified by Attorney Shashi Gaz in a conversation with Maariv. According to him, this time it is an explicit order, unlike a previous request from the court, and refusal to appear would look very bad. However, Gaz emphasizes that the obligation to appear does not require the Attorney General to engage in a substantive discussion of the judges' questions, and she may clarify that the prosecution's position remains unchanged. The authority to determine the content of the indictment lies with the prosecution, not with the panel of judges. Another option available to Baharav-Miara is to petition the High Court of Justice, although in a criminal proceeding the possibility to appeal interim decisions is limited. The bottom line: as long as the order remains in effect, the obligation to appear applies to her.