Raz Nizri, a former deputy attorney general during the period of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's indictment, said on Monday that he advised Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and the prosecution to drop the bribery charge in Case 4000 and to withdraw Case 2000 entirely. Nizri told Kan News that his recommendation was ignored, calling the process a waste of time and urging the prosecution to now withdraw.
Raz Nizri, a former deputy attorney general who served during the period of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's indictment, revealed Monday that he recommended dropping the bribery charge in Case 4000 and closing Case 2000 entirely. Speaking to Kan News (public broadcaster), Nizri said the advice was given during a meeting with then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, but the prosecution ignored it. 'They wasted time, and now they need to back down,' he said.
Nizri's statement adds a significant new voice to a growing chorus of criticism directed at the prosecution. Over the past several hours, as The Zioneer reported, the panel of judges in Netanyahu's trial reaffirmed its 2023 recommendation to drop the bribery charge, sparking sharp attacks from Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and political commentator Mati Tuchfeld, among others. Nizri — a former insider in the legal system — provides a rare on-the-record account of internal dissent during the original charging process.
The bribery charge against Netanyahu has been a central pillar of the prosecution's case. Nizri's account lends weight to the argument that the charge was legally weak from the outset, though the trial is ongoing and the Attorney General's Office has so far declined to withdraw it. It remains unclear whether the current Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, will act on the renewed judicial recommendation or on Nizri's public appeal.
- DevelopingBen Gvir: Judges' second ruling to dismiss bribery charge proves 'game over' for prosecution
- StrongLegal commentators: Prosecution refusal to drop bribery charge in Case 4000 would aim for a Supreme Court appeal
- DevelopingTuchfeld attacks AG after judges again press to drop Netanyahu bribery charge
- DevelopingSaar and MK Saada attack prosecution after panel upholds recommendation to drop bribery charge in Case 4000
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake