Supreme Court Orders Shin Bet Chief Zini to Receive Petitioners' Names

Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the list of names of petitioners challenging Shin Bet (General Security Service) chief Ronen Bar's appointment must be handed over to Bar within one week. These petitioners are Shin Bet employees whose identities have thus far remained confidential. Bar had engaged in a prolonged struggle to obtain the list of individuals who petitioned against his appointment.

Earlier this week, on Sunday, Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit criticized Bar's insistence on receiving the names. The comments came during a hearing on Bar's request to declare the petitioners in contempt of court for refusing to reveal their identities. Justice Amit suggested that Bar reconsider his stance, stating, "I am not sure it does him any good."

Bar's attorney, Yaakov Kerem, argued that the petitioners' names should be published, asserting that they could not act with impunity by refusing to disclose their identities. However, when questioned by Justice Amit, no clear explanation was provided as to why Bar was so insistent on obtaining the names. The petitioners' attorney, Eitan Peleg, explained that his clients feared retribution from the Shin Bet chief.