Three judges: The composition that will be discussed at Netanyahu's trial was determined

The Jerusalem District Court ruled that Judge Rebecca Friedman-Feldman will head the lineup, which will include judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham. Netanyahu was indicted for bribery and fraud and breach of trust. The judge to head the assembly convicted former prime minister Olmert in the "money envelopes" affair

Three judges: The composition that will be discussed at Netanyahu's trial was determined

The Jerusalem District Court (Wednesday) ordered the composition of the judges to hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial. At the head of the panel will be Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, and judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham. Netanyahu will face trial after he was indicted in December for bribery and fraud and breach of trust. Last month, the indictment was filed with the District Court, after Netanyahu announced that he was withdrawing the immunity request he requested from the Knesset.

Justice Friedman-Feldman , who presides over the judiciary, has been serving on the Judiciary for over 25 years, and in 2012 was promoted from the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court to the District Court. Prior to that, she worked for more than a decade in the State Attorney's Office. Its big advantage is that it already judged (former) prime minister - by being part of the composition that convicted Ehud Olmert in the "money envelopes" affair.

The original composition discussed in the case was Olmert's, but the prosecutor's office appealed and even submitted new recordings given by Olmert's head, Shula Elder. The Supreme Court ordered the case to be returned to the district, this time joining the Friedman-Feldman lineup, in place of President Mosia Arad who resigned. Not only did the case end with a conviction, and imposing an 8-month prison sentence on Olmert, but Friedman-Feldman also stated in the ruling that she believes there was room for convicting Olmert also in the first round, according to the evidence presented at the time.

To read the full indictment - click here

The indictment against Netanyahu was filed in the Jerusalem District Court

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Indictments against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Image Processing, Image Processing)

Like the head of the composition, Justice Shaham also worked in the State Attorney's Office, but this is a very short period - from 1999 to 2000 - when the criminal defense attorney was there. Prior to that, he was also a legal assistant to Chief Justice Theodore Orr. Shaham will bring together the economic professionalism needed for the prime minister's files. In recent years, he has served on the Competition Tribunal, established in the Jerusalem District Court under the Antitrust Law, and discusses issues related to competition in the economy and appeals against the antitrust commissioner's decisions.

Justice Shacham was also part of the composition of the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court sitting in the political appointments of Minister Tzachi Hanegbi for the previous decade. Shaham wrote the most rigorous opinion, believing that Negevi should also be convicted of bribery of elections, both fraud and breach of trust and false testimony. Ultimately, due to the positions of the other two judges in the lineup, Hanegbi was convicted of false testimony only.

Judge Bar-Am is the only one of the three judges who did not work as a civil service lawyer in his past. He has served as a judge since 2000, first in the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court and since 2012 in the Jerusalem District. Bar-Am and Judge Friedman-Feldman were two of the three composition judges who won Salomon Radai in 2018, accused of murdering his girlfriend. Raday sat in custody for four and a half years, but was eventually acquitted as judges criticized police and prosecutors.

The indictment was filed in files 1000 (the gift case), 2000 (the Netanyahu-Moses case) and 4000 (the Bezeq-Yas case) for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he allegedly committed during his tenure as prime minister and media minister. The court reasoned the move in Netanyahu's waiver of the Knesset's immunity request, as required by law. When the indictment was filed, the court asked the court for 45 days to issue a certificate of intelligence on intelligence contained in the investigation file. This means that the materials will not be used as evidence by the prosecution. The defense team will not be handed over.

Judges' Judgment Composition at Netanyahu Trial (Photo: -, official website)

Summary of indictments

In Case 1000, the gift affair, Netanyahu is accused of receiving business favors worth about NIS 700,000 from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer, while serving as prime minister. Most of the gifts were cigars, champagne cases and jewelry. In addition, it is alleged that Netanyahu acted in Milchan's favor in three matters in which the businessman sought his intervention: He contacted US Secretary of State John Kerry to extend the businessman's visa validation, he contacted Finance Minister Yair Lapid to extend the tax exemption to residents Returning, he was working to promote a "bow" and "net" merger, allegedly at Milchen's request. Netanyahu is accused of fraudulently violating this case.

Portfolio 2000 deals with talks between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher, Noni Moses. In those two alleged talks, the prime minister's coverage of the Yedioth group in exchange for imposing restrictions on the newspaper's main competitor - "Israel Today" - was convinced that those who offered the deal He is Moses, so he is charged with offering bribes.

Portfolio 4000 deals with regulatory benefits worth more than a billion shekels, which Netanyahu allegedly gave to businessman Saul Alovic. In return, according to the indictment, Elovich acted to divert coverage on the Walla site! NEWS, who was in his control. This is the most serious case among the three, and in the meetings of the Court with senior officials of the Justice and Public Prosecutor's Office, it is the only case in which all the parties agreed that the indictment should be a bribe.