High Court Weighs Shin Bet Chief's Demand to Reveal Petitioners' Names

During a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Sunday, Shin Bet (General Security Service) Director Ronen Bar, represented by his attorney Yaakov Karam, requested the court to rule that the petitioners challenging his appointment had disrespected the court by refusing to reveal their identities. Karam argued that the petitioners' names should be published, asserting it was unacceptable for them to act unilaterally and withhold their identities.

Conversely, the petitioners' attorney, Eitan Peleg, stated that his clients feared retaliation from the Shin Bet chief. Peleg further argued that since no court order compelled the petitioners to disclose their names, they could not be deemed to have disrespected the court.

Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit commented during the proceedings, "In my personal opinion, the Shin Bet chief would do well to reconsider his position. I am not sure this is doing him any good." Justices Mintz and Solberg stated that a party has the right to know who is petitioning against them. However, Solberg added that she believed her recommendation in the ruling for Bar not to insist on publishing the list would be accepted.