Israeli Court Orders Petitioners Against Shin Bet Chief Nominee to Reveal Identities

Israel's Supreme Court has ordered individuals petitioning against the appointment of David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet security agency to reveal their names within one week. The judges stated that the petitioners had not provided any legal basis for concealing their identities from Zini, who is a respondent in the case and holds the necessary security clearance. The court emphasized that a petition to the court is not an anonymous petition and that serious allegations against others must be made with accountability.

The court ruled that the restriction on publishing the list of petitioners, as far as Zini himself is concerned, should be lifted. However, the list remains prohibited from public disclosure according to law. The court also suggested, as a gesture of goodwill, that Zini might consider waiving his right to receive the list, given that the petitioners are former agency employees who could potentially assist the Shin Bet with their knowledge. The court noted that these former employees had sought to withdraw their petition.

The ruling comes amid controversy surrounding Zini's nomination, including political backlash following leaked recordings. The court specified that if Zini insists on his right to receive the list, and without prejudice to whether previous decisions already required the petitioners to disclose their names to him, they must do so within seven days.