The three-judge panel presiding over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial rejected, at least for now, a request by former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to postpone his testimony until after the upcoming Knesset elections.
Mandelblit, who currently serves as dean of the law faculty at Ramat Gan Academic College, had asked the court to reschedule his testimony, which is set for October. In a letter to the court, he outlined a series of scheduling conflicts that he said would make it difficult for him to appear on the dates set.
As dean of the law faculty, Mandelblit explained, he faces significant responsibilities with the new academic year opening on October 4.
He also noted that he is scheduled to be abroad for approximately two weeks in the coming period, and pointed to the High Holidays and other constraints. The combination of circumstances, he argued, makes it difficult for him to prepare properly for his testimony.
Mandelblit therefore requested that his testimony be postponed and heard after the elections. In his letter, he said he understands the importance of moving the trial forward, but asked the court to take into account the constraints he had presented.
But judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham were not persuaded, at least not at this stage. In a brief ruling issued in response to Mandelblit's request, they wrote: "The reasons cited do not justify changing the dates that were set."
The decision, however, does not completely close the door to a future change. The judges added: "If the defense notifies us of other witnesses who can testify on those dates or some of them, we will reconsider the request."
