Court prohibits Netanyahu from meeting with his lawyers during cross-examination
The judges overseeing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial in the "Cases 1000-4000" corruption proceedings ruled that he is not allowed to meet with his defense attorneys during the period in which he is being cross-examined by the prosecution.
The decision, reported on Kan News on Sunday, rejects the defense's claim that the restriction applies only to discussions related to the trial, clarifying instead that the rules prohibit meetings for any purpose.
The court stated that if Netanyahu’s attorneys wish to meet with him regarding a specific matter, they must request approval in advance.
The prosecution, whose position was accepted by the court, emphasized that not only are such meetings between a defendant and their lawyer prohibited during this period, and noted that Attorney Amit Hadad had previously acknowledged this restriction himself.
During the prosecution’s presentation of witnesses, Hadad argued that the prosecution was not allowed to communicate with its witnesses while they were being cross-examined by the defense.
Netanyahu’s cross-examination by the other defendants is expected to conclude in approximately two weeks.
If there is no break in the proceedings, this means the prosecution’s cross-examination of Netanyahu will begin in early June.
Tamar Almog is a legal affairs correspondent and commentator for KAN 11 news.
