Netanyahu Trial Judges Refuse Mandelblit's Request to Delay Testimony Until After Election

Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham on September 24 rejected, for now, former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit's request to postpone his testimony in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial until after the October 27 election. Mandelblit, now dean of law at Ramat Gan Academic College, cited the October 4 start of the academic year, about two weeks abroad and the Tishrei holidays. "The reasons put forward do not justify changing the dates that were set," the judges wrote, adding they would reconsider if the defense names other witnesses for those dates. The defense had asked to call Mandelblit, who approved the indictments as attorney general, on seven days starting October 11.