Ahead of decisions in Netanyahu’s cases: Nitzan postponed convention

A planned convention of current and past State Attorney's office officials, which was scheduled for the weekend, was postponed after Maariv reporter Kalman Liebskind revealed an e-mail by State Attorney Shai Nitzan where he requested the officials to defend the State Attorney's office ahead of the expected decision regarding the various investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the email, sent last week, Nitzan provided a list of issues in which the office he heads got severely criticized and asked the readers of the email to defend the office. The request is without precedent. The official reason to postpone the event was 'logistics issues.' The original e-mail was sent to, among others, Supreme Court Justice Uzi Vogelman and several district court judges who might be asked to rule in cases concerning Netanyahu pending indictment. “I asked anyone who is willing to make media appearances about this,” Nitzan wrote in the message which was sent to lawyers who are no longer in the State Attorney's service and are now in the private sector. Former President of the Supreme Court Dorit Beinisch, who slammed Justice Minister Amir Ohana when he criticized the legal system and said there is a “State Attorney within the State Attorney,” was among the recipients of Nitzan's email. According to various clues and leaks received at the Prime Minister's office the Attorney General of Israel Avichai Mandelblit is expected to reach a decision regarding the Netanyahu cases during the upcoming week. Should Mandelblit decide to indict Netanyahu it is expected that supporters of the Prime Minister will continue to protest in his favor. One such supporter, Raz Carmi Bozaglo, said on Thursday that he and his partners are “building a popular army that is determined to go to battle and protect the leader.” He warned both Nitzan and Mandelblit to consider what this “harsh act” will do to “the people,” Haaretz reported on Sunday. Bozaglo also said he and his partners are “law abiding” and won't “block roads and disrupt traffic.” It was also speculated the decision to indict Netanyahu will be made public on Wednesday night when Blue and White leader Benny Gantz will lose the mandate to form a coalition, but that speculation is thought to be fake news meant to flame up the street. If Netanyahu is indicted, and Gantz's mandate expires, the next step would be for the Knesset to appoint an MK who is believed by 61 MK's to be able to form a government, such an MK could very well be a Likud MK who might take over party leaderships should Netanyahu be indicted. Others speculate that Mandelblit wishes to submit his decision before Nitzan leaves office in December with some pointing to November 26 and not the upcoming week as one such possible date. Sources within the legal establishment claim that they see a “tendency to make decisions publicly known and then defend them,” in regard to the various conflicting reports about the date in which the decision will be released. It seems that despite the many arguments brought up in Netanyahu's hearing, the State Attorney maintains its original position. Sources within the legal system argue that solid, professional legal work was done in this case backed by many evidences and they stand behind the facts in Netanyahu's cases. Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

Ahead of decisions in Netanyahu’s cases: Nitzan postponed convention

The convention of top State Attorney officials was postponed after Maariv broke the story about a request Nitzan made to judges and prosecutors asking them to defend the State Attorney.

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