Netanyahu Trial Judges Order Attorney General to Attend November 18 Hearing

The Jerusalem District Court ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to attend a November 18 hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial, despite her objection to appearing personally. Judges Rivkah Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham issued the order on November 12. They said they would consider holding the discussion behind closed doors if necessary. The order follows prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh’s statement to the court on November 11 that Baharav-Miara would not attend the proposed discussion. Tirosh said the senior prosecution team could hear the judges, discuss the issues and convey messages to decision-makers. “This team is authorized to hear anything you see fit to say,” Tirosh said, translated from Hebrew. She argued that requiring the attorney general to attend personally was inconsistent with the prosecution’s working arrangements. Last week, Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad and Shaul Elovitch’s lawyer Jacques Chen sought a discussion involving Baharav-Miara. Shaham said the judges had independently considered the idea. The request arose during former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit’s defense testimony, when lawyers questioned which investigative actions he had approved, what information he had received and how decisions were documented. Hadad argued on November 11 that the court could summon Baharav-Miara despite her reluctance. Tirosh said Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman remained open to direct discussions toward a possible agreement. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18.