Netanyahu Trial Resumes in Jerusalem as Defense Prepares Witnesses; Case 4000 Bribery Charge Remains Key

The criminal trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed at the Jerusalem District Court after the summer recess, ushering in a new stage of the defense case in which remaining witnesses for Netanyahu and his three co-defendants are expected to testify.

Netanyahu completed his own testimony in June following 98 hearing days spread over roughly 18 months. Sunday's session was largely procedural: the court and the parties focused on organizing the witness timetable and deciding which defense witnesses will be called, rather than on presenting new evidence.

This Week's Schedule And Key Witnesses

Four hearing days are scheduled this week. A notice from Netanyahu's defense says MK Ze'ev Elkin's cross-examination will continue on Monday. Ronit Mandelbaum may be asked to testify later that day if needed, and Police Chief Superintendent Shmuel Sharvit is slated to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday. The defense has requested that the court issue summonses for both Mandelbaum and Sharvit.

The proposed testimony from these witnesses is intended to challenge the prosecution's account of how the investigations were conducted and to question whether evidence was obtained lawfully and with proper procedure.

Venue, Timeline And Logistics

The trial has returned to its original venue in Jerusalem; earlier testimony from Netanyahu was heard at the Tel Aviv District Court building under special security arrangements. Judges have pressed both sides to narrow witness lists and speed the proceedings in a trial that began in May 2020.

Beginning October 4, hearings are scheduled to run five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. The defense and prosecution both opposed that pace when it was proposed in June. Netanyahu's attorney, Amit Hadad, warned the court that a five-day schedule would not give the defense sufficient time to prepare witnesses and cautioned that some lawyers might withdraw if they could not provide adequate representation. The court has nevertheless instructed defense teams to line up witnesses and alternates for each day to avoid cancellations.

Case 4000: The Central Unresolved Question

The most consequential unresolved legal question as the defense phase advances is the bribery allegation in Case 4000—the Bezeq-Walla affair. After Netanyahu concluded his testimony, the judges repeated a view they expressed in June 2023: they see evidentiary difficulties in proving bribery and suggested the prosecution consider withdrawing that count. That remark was advisory, not an instruction, and the prosecution has not withdrawn the charge; the indictment remains unchanged.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen after a court hearing in his trial, at the District Court in Jerusalem, June 29, 2026 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Case 4000 alleges that while serving as prime minister and communications minister, Netanyahu advanced regulatory decisions that benefited Bezeq and its then-controlling shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, and that in return Netanyahu and his family received unusually favorable and responsive coverage from the Walla news site, which Elovitch controlled. Netanyahu and the Elovitches deny any quid pro quo; Netanyahu has argued that Walla often remained hostile and that the regulatory decisions were professionally justified.

If prosecutors were to drop the bribery count, Case 4000 would still include fraud and breach-of-trust allegations related to the same affair. Separately, Netanyahu also faces fraud and breach-of-trust charges in Cases 1000 and 2000.

Related Cases

Case 1000 concerns gifts—including cigars and champagne—that Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are alleged to have received from wealthy businessmen, principally Arnon Milchan. Prosecutors say Netanyahu provided official assistance on matters affecting Milchan while accepting those gifts; Netanyahu calls them presents exchanged within a genuine friendship.

Case 2000 centers on recorded conversations between Netanyahu and Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes. Prosecutors allege the two discussed improving Netanyahu's press coverage in exchange for steps that might have weakened the paper's principal competitor, Israel Hayom. Both men deny wrongdoing.

Mozes and Shaul and Iris Elovitch are on trial alongside Netanyahu and will also be able to call witnesses in their defense.

Strategy And Stakes

The dispute over the Case 4000 bribery charge is closely tied to a broader dispute about the trial's pace. Netanyahu's attorney has warned that if the bribery charge stays in the indictment the defense may seek to call hundreds of witnesses to challenge the prosecution's account. The three-judge panel—headed by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who is expected to retire in March 2028, and joined by Judges Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham—has urged the parties to trim witness lists and expedite the process.

For now, the trial remains in its evidentiary phase. Once Netanyahu and the co-defendants finish presenting witnesses, both sides will make final arguments; only then will the judges issue a verdict on the charges that remain.