A new documentary sequel contends that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption case has spiraled well beyond a standard criminal proceeding, spotlighting four developments since testimony began and warning of broader repercussions for Israel’s legal and political systems.
The Trial – Part 2, a 20-minute follow-up to the 2022 film that dissected the indictment in Case 4000, presents fresh interviews with leading jurists and commentators. Among them are Adv. Sasson Gez, one of Israel’s most prominent defense attorneys; author and columnist Ari Shavit; Prof. Yuval Elbashan, dean of the Ono Academic College Faculty of Law; Adv. Shai Nitzan, former state attorney, and Prof. Alan Dershowitz, emeritus professor of law at Harvard University.
Defense lawyer Adv. Rachel Wozner recounts that in June 2023, the Jerusalem District Court panel privately advised prosecutors to consider withdrawing the bribery charge—the heaviest count in the indictment—citing evidentiary “difficulties.” Likud MK Adv. Moshe Saada, formerly a deputy state attorney, says the guidance effectively gutted the heart of the case. Bribery carries a potential ten-year prison term; the remaining fraud and breach-of-trust counts do not normally prompt indictments, he argues.
State witnesses sue for damages
The film reveals that several key state witnesses, led by former Communications Ministry director-general Shlomo Filber, have filed civil suits seeking tens of millions of shekels over alleged coercive interrogation tactics. Plaintiffs claim investigators used sleep deprivation and psychological pressure to secure testimony. Dershowitz calls the methods “a disaster brought upon the country by prosecutors who went much too far on far too weak evidence.”
Archival audio of Roni Alsheich, Israel Police commissioner from 2015 to 2018, indicates investigators the film, that investigators believed Netanyahu would resign once charged—an assumption the filmmakers say shaped aggressive questioning and accelerated the probe.
Since December 2024, Netanyahu has appeared in court two mornings a week, after judges denied longer postponements so he could focus on Israel’s multi-front war with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Critics say the schedule diverts the premier’s attention during a national emergency, while supporters of the proceedings insist the rule of law must prevail.
‘Shaking the state’
Gez opens the film by declaring that “everything that has happened to us in recent years is because of this case.” Elbashan warns that if courts cannot insulate themselves from partisan pressures, the justice system itself may buckle. Shavit argues the probability of a purely judicial outcome is “very low,” suggesting that the trial now embodies a struggle over institutional power.
The first installment of The Trial drew praise in these pages for shedding light on investigative irregularities, including alleged spyware use and missing witness lists. The sequel, now streaming free online, shifts focus to post-indictment tremors that, its creators claim, show the case was never merely about favorable media coverage.
A verdict is not expected before 2026, leaving Israelis to debate whether the courtroom or the court of public opinion will render judgment first.