Jerusalem, 12 November, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Jerusalem District Court on Thursday ordered Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to appear Wednesday at a hearing in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, rejecting her position that senior prosecutors could represent her.
The judges said her personal participation was important to discussions about a possible withdrawal of the bribery charge in Case 4000, one of three criminal cases against Netanyahu.
The three-judge panel said direct dialogue with the official responsible for prosecution decisions would help ensure that the court’s concerns were properly addressed.
Baharav-Miara had declined an earlier request to attend, with prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh telling the court that the attorney general was kept informed of the proceedings and that her legal team was authorized to represent her. Tirosh also argued that having Baharav-Miara appear alongside the prosecution team would be inconsistent with established procedures.
She said the attorney general’s office remained open to direct discussions with the court.
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning. The judges said they would consider holding it behind closed doors if necessary.
Netanyahu is standing trial in three separate corruption cases on charges including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The cases include allegations that Netanyahu granted regulatory benefits to telecommunications company Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage from the Walla news website. He is also accused of accepting expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen and of seeking favorable media coverage from newspaper publishers.
The prime minister denies all wrongdoing.
No serving Israeli prime minister has previously been indicted on criminal charges. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned in 2008 ahead of his own indictment on corruption charges. He was later convicted and served two-thirds of a 27-month prison sentence.