The judges in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trial ruled on Monday that the prosecution may question former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit only in a re-direct examination, a significant limitation on the prosecution.

The ruling came after a loud argument broke out between the prosecution and the defense at the Jerusalem District Court, leading to a break in the hearing.

The argument erupted when prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh objected to questions put to Mandelblit by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad. “People are expected to remember things that happened 10 years ago,” Tirosh said. Hadad shot back: “You asked the Prime Minister where he was in a certain place at 9:00 and 20 seconds, 16 years ago.”

When the judges returned from the break, they said: “We have decided that the questioning of Mr. Mandelblit will be a re-direct examination.”

The judges accepted Hadad’s argument that Mandelblit was effectively a prosecution witness whom the prosecution chose not to call, meaning that Hadad’s questioning constituted cross-examination. Tirosh argued that Mandelblit’s testimony was not needed to prove the indictment and that he was brought to testify about defense claims, but the judges did not accept that.

In a re-direct examination, only clarification questions about what the witness has already said may be asked. The prosecution had planned to present Mandelblit with approvals for investigative steps that he said in his testimony he did not approve, and will now be unable to do so.

Earlier, Hadad showed Mandelblit transcripts from the interrogation of Israel Hayom editor Amos Regev concerning Prime Minister Netanyahu, and asked whether he had approved investigating the matter. “I don’t remember approving,” Mandelblit said.

Mandelblit also confirmed that he did not approve opening an investigation into a complaint about Shlomo Filber’s connection to Israel Hayom. Asked whether he approved questioning Filber about whether the Likud and Prime Minister Netanyahu had “court reporters” at Israel Hayom, Mandelblit said: “No. I did not approve that.”

On Case 4000, Mandelblit said the case “was born backwards. The suspicion was born from the benefit itself.”

Hadad also presented Mandelblit’s signature on the indictment, in which the letter Aleph appears thicker, as if traced over several times. “I remember myself at the event signing in my own handwriting, with a pen,” Mandelblit said. “I have a memory that I am approving the indictment.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)