Efi Nave Discusses Leaked Mandelblit Recordings Outside Courtroom

Outside the courtroom, Channel 11 journalist Ayala Hasson was seen speaking with former Israel Bar Association head Efi Nave regarding the leaked recordings involving former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. The discussion touched upon Mandelblit's past remarks suggesting that then-State Attorney Shai Nitzan was holding him by the throat over an unresolved personal file from the Harpaz affair.

During the conversation, Hasson asked Nave to clarify what Mandelblit meant by feeling held by the throat. Nave explained that the comments were made in the context of Mandelblit's case status, which he claimed was never formally closed in a way that removed all potential legal repercussions.

Nave Recalls Mandelblit's Remarks

Nave recalled Mandelblit telling him that he felt like a beetle buzzing in his head constantly, worrying that a police car could pull him over at any time. The discussion also addressed whether Mandelblit's case had an official closure ground, with Nave questioning how someone could be appointed to a senior law enforcement position while such personal legal questions remained open.

"I am driving on the road and a police car could stop me," Nave quoted Mandelblit as saying, describing a constant state of unease.

When explicitly asked if this pressure affected decisions regarding Netanyahu's criminal trials, Nave stated that the pressure was general rather than specifically tied to the Prime Minister's cases.

Background on the Harpaz Affair Leaks

The remarks bring renewed attention to recordings published in October 2020 from earlier conversations between Mandelblit and Nave. In those recordings, Mandelblit sharply criticized Shai Nitzan over the handling of his case stemming from the Harpaz affair.

• Mandelblit was heard complaining about lacking a formal case closure.

• He criticized Nitzan for allegedly dragging out the administrative process.

• Both Mandelblit and Nitzan have previously rejected claims that external pressure influenced official legal decisions.

The courtroom encounter coincided with Mandelblit's scheduled testimony as a defense witness in the ongoing trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the legality of approvals given for police investigations remains a central point of contention.