The Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office filed a request with the court this morning (Tuesday) to accept the confidential opinion of the General Security Service, according to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be able to testify in his trial due to security considerations.
According to a report on Channel 13, in a request sent on behalf of the Taxation and Economics Department, it was noted that the Attorney General's Office has no knowledge of whether the opinion was submitted to the court for review, and whether it was a consideration in its decision to cancel Netanyahu's testimony this week.
It was also written that following these words, the prosecution was forced to "rely on what was stated in the media publication.".
The request reads: "On Sunday, it was announced in the media that the court was provided with a confidential opinion from the Shin Bet, according to which the defendant will not be able to testify for reasons related to his security.".
However, a search conducted by the Attorney General's Office found that a message from the legal advisor to the Courts Administration, Attorney Barak Laizer, was indeed forwarded to the court, in which he requested "to present a letter from the Shin Bet containing confidential information." It was also written that the Attorney General's Office was not forwarded the opinion, and it did not receive notification that there was an intention to forward it - and therefore is forced to rely on publications in the media.
""To the extent that a Shin Bet opinion related to Netanyahu's ability or inability to testify was submitted to the court for review, we request that the court order it to be submitted for review by officials with appropriate security clearance in the Attorney General's Office.".
In addition, the court was asked to "clarify the obvious," according to which documents submitted to the court will be brought to the prosecutor's office for review in advance.
Yesterday, Channel 13 reported that the Ministry of Justice decided to examine the conduct of Shin Bet head David Zini, as his conflict of interest arrangement requires him to contact the Shin Bet's legal advisor regarding everything related to Netanyahu's personal, political, and criminal proceedings.
Shin Bet sources sharply criticized: "Zini should not have agreed. Shin Bet is the one who should have provided the security, and there is no doubt that the minus 2 floor of the Tel Aviv District Court has the necessary security - even for the prime minister.".
The secret document, written under the direct orders of the head of the service, David Zini, was personally delivered to the legal counsel of the courts' administration on Tuesday, and the Shin Bet justified the determination by stating that the prime minister cannot be in places that are known in advance to the public out of fear for his safety.
The document explicitly states that there is a real concern that Iranian elements will exploit the situation to try to harm Netanyahu.
According to the Channel 13 report, sources involved in the incident claim that the request to receive an opinion from Shin Bet chief Zini came from Netanyahu's close circle.
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