High-profile case10/10/2026

Mandelblit to Testify on the Legality of the Investigation Against Netanyahu

Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has been summoned as a defense witness in Benjamin Netanyahu's trial. He will be required to answer whether he authorized the investigative actions and whether the police exceeded the limits of the authorizations he gave.

Key facts

•Court: The court hearing Benjamin Netanyahu's criminal trial
•Mandelblit's status: Defense witness
•Requested duration: Seven days of testimony
•Main proceedings: Cases 1000 and 2000
•Legal basis of the dispute: Basic Law: The Government
•Authorization to examine the gifts: June 2016, according to the prosecution's account

Why Mandelblit Was Summoned to Court

Netanyahu's defense attorneys, Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein, asked to summon Mandelblit for seven nonconsecutive days of hearings. The court granted the request because of the importance of his testimony in examining the legality of the investigation, although it has not yet decided whether all seven days will be required. The court had previously rejected several defense requests to summon representatives of the prosecution.

What Is at the Heart of the Dispute

The defense argues that the police took actions against Netanyahu without the required authorization from the attorney general, as stipulated in Basic Law: The Government. The prosecution maintains that the inquiry and investigation were conducted lawfully and in accordance with the authorizations given by Mandelblit. It emerged that the authorizations were given orally at meetings with the police and documented in official Ministry of Justice minutes, rather than formulated as a separate written decision; the judges criticized this.

Which Actions Will Be Examined

The court heard conflicting accounts regarding the limits of the authorizations in Cases 1000 and 2000. Investigator Tzachi Havkin claimed that the police expanded the Case 1000 investigation and acted beyond the authorization they had received, while prosecutor Alon Gildin said that in June 2016 Mandelblit explicitly permitted an inquiry into the receipt of gifts. Also under discussion are the wiretapping of Netanyahu associate Natan Eshel in 2017 pursuant to a judicial warrant, and police official Eran Kamin's meeting with journalist Ben Caspit in 2015.

The Investigation of Nir Hefetz

The defense also intends to question Mandelblit about the investigative tactic used against state's witness Nir Hefetz. According to the report, Mandelblit ordered an examination of the investigators' actions based on documents, without summoning them for questioning. Hefetz described severe physical and other pressure, but clarified that the controversial investigative tactic itself did not affect his decision.

What Is Expected Next

Mandelblit will first answer the defense's questions regarding the authorizations and the investigators' testimony. The prosecution will then cross-examine him and attempt through his testimony to refute the defense's claims. The source does not report any final court ruling regarding the legality of the investigative actions or their effect on the charges.

What this means for you

The case illustrates that a court may examine not only the substance of the evidence, but also the legal powers under which it was collected. For residents of Israel, this underscores the importance of documenting authorizations for investigative actions, particularly when the law requires special authorization from an officeholder. The ultimate implications of Mandelblit's testimony for the trial remain unknown.

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Case analysis based on court rulings