On video: Netanyahu's trial: Avi Alkalai's testimony continues, former editor of Walla!/Walla!
Four years to the filing of the indictment in the thousands of cases, and to the trial that changed the face of the country and the relations between the media and the government in Israel, perhaps forever.
Despite the long time that has passed, the trial is still ongoing, and as in any criminal trial - the opening stage after the filing of the indictment is the prosecution case, that is, the prosecution witnesses testifying on behalf of the prosecution in the case.
The next stage expected in the case is the defense case - the stage where the defense attorneys present their witnesses.
The one who is supposed to open this phase is the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
For the special coverage of the Netanyahu trial
Netanyahu in court, June 27, 2023/Official website, Olivia Fitosi
So where do we stand today in the case?
At the current point in time, the prosecution is supposed to finish testifying its witnesses, but due to the war, this too may be postponed, without the war, the expectation was to finish the Haganah case until after Passover, after which Netanyahu was supposed to testify.
Eyal Haimovski, director of Prime Minister Netanyahu's office between 2012-2014, is expected to testify this week.
Businessmen Ilan Shiloh and Udi Angel are also expected to testify.
More in Walla!
The breakthroughs, the treatments and what does the future hold?
Everything you need to know about diabetes
In collaboration with Sanofi
Shlomo Filber testifies in court/Flash 90, Olivier Fitosi
Two key points worth noting:
In March 2022, Shlomo Filber, former director general of the Ministry of Communications and who was considered a confidant of Prime Minister Netanyahu, took the witness stand - but signed a state witness agreement that was supposed to incriminate his former boss.
"Netanyahu has been an object of admiration from a fairly young age. I greatly appreciate and respect, even today, one of the greatest leaders of the Jewish state and the State of Israel, and of course the right, I am a right-wing ideologue, not least because of him the right is where it is," Filber began his testimony and very quickly He found himself facing the prosecution's request to declare him a hostile witness due to the contradictions discovered in his testimony.
The request to declare him a hostile witness came after Pilbar answered a question on the witness stand that he did not remember why he hid the discreet connection with Bezeq, but to the police he said that it was an improper connection that would reflect on the conflict of interest draft.
How did it end in the end?
Everyone knows - the court rejected the request, but agreed that the prosecution would interrogate Filber as a cross-examination, that is, as a witness testifying against her.
These days, the prosecutor's office is examining whether to file an indictment against Filber for violating the state witness agreement, the state attorney is expected to decide on this soon.
Filber was supposed to provide the goods and link between the remuneration allegedly given to Saul Elovitch and the sympathetic coverage it allegedly gave to Netanyahu, the goods as stated were not provided and Filber even reviews Netanyahu - something that raises concerns of an alleged conflict of interest, now we have to wait for the state attorney's decision.
Editor Wow!
Formerly Avi Alkalai in the Netanyahu/Flash 90 trial, Aryeh Leib Abrams
Another important point at this stage is the judges' recommendation to the prosecutor's office to withdraw the bribery charge from the 4,000 case.
The panel judges in the case, Rivka Friedman Feldman, Oded Shaham, and Moshe Bar-Am, recommended that the prosecutor's office withdraw the bribery charge.
Although the prosecutor's office did not accept the recommendation and the legal advisor to the government believes that she has enough evidence to prove the crime of bribery - evidence that will be presented during the defense case.
However, the very recommendation of the panel of judges landed a public blow on the prosecutor's office and it raises the question of the public price these cases exacted from the Israeli public.
What next?
On the assumption that there will be no significant political change in Israel, the case is expected to continue to be conducted lazily, it must be said, and the effect of the case on Israeli society, media and politics will be felt in a big way.
If the unexpected happens and Netanyahu signs a plea deal in exchange for retiring from political life but without actual prison sentence, a new chapter in Israeli society may be opened.
More on the same topic:
Benjamin Netanyahu
Bag 1000
2000 case
Bag 3000
Bag 4000
The Netanyahu trial