Judge Benny Sagi died in a traffic accident, not while overseeing Netanyahu’s trial. Viral claims linking his death to the prime minister’s cases are false, based on official court assignments and police statements.
Judge Benny Sagi’s death and the Netanyahu trial rumors (Image: File)
JERUSALEM, January 8 — The death of a prominent Israeli judge in a traffic accident has spawned a wave of online misinformation, falsely linking him to the corruption cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Official records confirm Judge Benny Sagi was not presiding over Netanyahu’s trial, despite viral claims suggesting otherwise.
Benny Sagi, 54, the president of the Be’er Sheva District Court, died on January 4, 2026. He was killed in a collision on Route 6 near Kfar Menachem when an off-road vehicle veered onto the highway and struck his motorcycle. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Israeli police have described the incident as a tragic accident, with no initial signs of foul play. An investigation into the crash remains open.
Shortly after his death, social media posts began circulating a two-part conspiracy theory. First, they falsely claimed Sagi was the lead judge in Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial. Second, they implied his death was suspicious and politically motivated. These posts have been shared widely, suggesting a connection where none exists in the official court record.
Sagi was a senior judge, but he was not involved in Netanyahu’s primary trial. That case, encompassing allegations in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000, is being heard by a three-judge panel at the Jerusalem District Court, led by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman.
Sagi’s work did touch a separate, tangential matter: the “Submarine Affair” (Case 3000). In this case, Netanyahu was questioned but is not a defendant. Sagi was presiding over a related case involving media consultant Tzachi Lieber and was scheduled to deliver a verdict in February 2026.
A: No. Netanyahu’s trial is in the Jerusalem District Court. Judge Sagi sat on the Be’er Sheva District Court and had no role in the Netanyahu trial panel.
A: Sagi was handling a related case within the broader Submarine Affair, where Netanyahu was not a defendant. He was set to rule on a case involving a media consultant.
A: No. Police in Israel stated the incident seems to be a tragic traffic accident, with no indication of wrongdoing.
A: The panel includes Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who is presiding, along with Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shoham at the Jerusalem District Court.
A: Police are continuing a standard investigation into the traffic collision.
