Israel's Supreme Court Rules Shin Bet Chief Can Receive Names of Petitioners

Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief David Zini is entitled to receive the names of former agency employees who petitioned against his appointment. The court ordered that the list of petitioners be provided to Zini within seven days.

During a hearing earlier in the week, Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit had asked Zini to consider whether he was willing to forgo receiving the list. However, the final decision affirmed Zini's right to the information.

The court addressed arguments that publication restrictions on Shin Bet personnel identity should prevent the names from being disclosed. The judges rejected this, stating that the petitioners had not identified any legal basis for withholding their names from an individual with the appropriate security clearance who is a respondent in their petitions.

However, the court clarified that receiving the list does not lift existing publication restrictions. The disclosure of names to Zini does not permit their public release if otherwise prohibited by law. The judges noted that despite Zini's right to the list, he was asked to consider waiving it, but his right to receive the names was ultimately upheld.

Justices Yitzhak Amit, Noam Sohlberg, and Dor Mintz determined that the petitioners must disclose their names to Zini within seven days.