Court Rejects Mandelblit's Request to Postpone Testimony in Netanyahu Trial
Jerusalem District Court rejected former AG Avichai Mandelblit's request to postpone his testimony in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial until after the October 2026 elections.
Former Attorney General Prof. Avichai Mandelblit filed a request with the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his testimony in the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, originally scheduled for October, asking instead to testify in November or December 2026—dates that fall after the 26th Knesset elections. Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman rejected the request on Thursday, ruling that the justifications presented do not warrant altering the established schedule, though she left room for reconsideration if the defense team provides alternative witnesses for those hearing dates.
Academic Pressures and Faculty Launch
In his formal petition, Mandelblit—who currently serves as dean of the law faculty at the Ramat Gan Academic College—detailed a series of professional obligations making it difficult for him to appear on the three dates issued on September 17. He explained that the academic year is set to open on November 1, 2026, and the period following the Sukkot holiday is critical, requiring intensive work such as recruiting lecturers, training administrative staff, admitting students, and finalizing curricula.
As an additional factor, Mandelblit cited Dr. Ruth Gan, a faculty member assisting in establishing the faculty, who serves in a legal reserve capacity and has recently completed several tours of duty. He argued that her absence limits the institution's preparedness, meaning his own absence for testimony would severely disrupt the faculty launch.
The reasons provided do not justify changing the scheduled dates.
Court Ruling and Alternative Solutions
Based on these arguments, Mandelblit proposed testifying after the academic year's launch, during November or December 2026. As an interim solution, he suggested hearing other witnesses during the October dates originally assigned to him.
Judge Friedman-Feldman rejected the former Attorney General's line of argument, confirming that the original schedule for October remains in effect. However, the court clarified that if the defense team arranges alternative witnesses to take his place on those dates, the postponement request will be reconsidered.
