Netanyahu’s Lawyer Clashes With Prosecutor During Mandelblit Cross-Examination

Former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit continued his testimony in Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial at Jerusalem District Court on November 2. Defense lawyer Amit Hadad questioned him about the initial suspicion in Case 4000 and the evidence concerning requests for coverage on the Walla news website. The examination led to a confrontation between Hadad and prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh that required the presiding judge’s intervention. Mandelblit described the suspicion as involving a practical ability to influence journalistic content in order to obtain a significant benefit. Hadad challenged the factual picture presented to the former attorney general when decisions were made. He alleged that Mandelblit had not been shown numerous instances in which Walla rejected requests from Netanyahu’s office or published content contrary to those requests. Hadad told Mandelblit that reviewing what the defense alleged had been withheld would astonish him. Tirosh objected to the presentation of the evidence. Hadad replied, “You don’t frighten me at all.” Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman stopped the confrontation and directed Mandelblit not to answer some of the remarks. The defense also examined whether police questioning in 2017 concerning Israel Hayom complied with the authorizations that had been issued. Monday’s exchanges concerned the basis and scope of the investigation; Hadad’s allegation that information had been withheld was a defense contention, rather than a new judicial finding.