Attorney general decides against mediation in Netanyahu criminal trial

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara says she opposes a mediation process for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial.

Baharav-Miara announces her opinion to Netanyahu’s legal defense team, according to Hebrew media reports.

Mediation would have brought Netanyahu’s defense team and state prosecutors together to resolve the legal dispute, outside of the courtroom.

The procedure would have had a judge work toward what amounts to a plea bargain, ending the legal proceedings more quickly.

The trial began three years ago and, as things stand, the proceedings, including potential appeals, are seen as unlikely to end before 2028-2029.

One of the three judges in the trial had reportedly asked the state prosecution and defense teams to consider mediation.

Netanyahu’s lawyers reportedly met with Baharav-Miara earlier this month to discuss potential mediation.

Netanyahu’s attorneys sought to convince Baharav-Miara to back such a process, Hebrew media reports said.