State Attorney’s Office demands copy of Shin Bet head’s letter on PM’s inability to testify

The State Attorney’s Office requests that the Jerusalem District Court hand over a document reportedly submitted to it by the Shin Bet, determining that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to testify at his criminal trial at present due to the risk that Iran may attempt to harm him during a court appearance

Channel 13 news reported on Sunday that, along with Netanyahu’s own request to postpone his trial by two weeks, Shin Bet chief David Zini submitted a letter to the Courts Administration’s legal adviser, warning that there would be a risk to the premier’s life if an upcoming length public appearance, such as court testimony, was public knowledge.

In a letter to the court sent today, the State Attorney’s Office says that it did not receive Zini’s position paper, despite standard practice for the prosecutor’s office to receive information pertinent to court proceedings, and it had learned of it through media reports.

“The prosecution has no knowledge of whether such a position paper was submitted for the consideration of the court, and whether such a position paper was a consideration in the court’s decision to cancel the hearing of [Netanyahu’s] testimony this week,” the State Attorney’s Office tells the court.

The State Attorney’s Office says it should have been given Zini’s position paper. It asks the court to transmit it to the prosecutor’s office, and to make clear that all such documentation be passed on to it in the future.

In response to the reports of Zini’s position paper, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel said the revelation was strikingly similar to accusations made by Zini’s predecessor, Ronen Bar, that Netanyahu had repeatedly asked him to issue position papers to the court that the premier was unable to testify due to security threats.

“Bar refused. Bar was fired. Now, with Shin Bet head David Zini, whom Netanyahu himself appointed, the position paper that Netanyahu failed to get from the previous Shin Bet head is suddenly being accepted,” the Movement for Quality Government charged.

The organization, which had petitioned the High Court of Justice against Zini’s appointment, says: “This is exactly the scenario we warned against.”

The Jerusalem District Court agreed on Sunday to cancel Netanyahu’s testimony in three hearings this week, although the decision was based on a separate position paper, the State Attorney’s Office says, regarding the general security and diplomatic situation in the region due to the recent conflict with Iran.