Retired Supreme Court Justice Grunis Steps Down From Submarine Probe

Retired Supreme Court President Asher Grunis has resigned as head of the state commission of inquiry into the submarine affair due to his medical condition. He will be replaced by retired Supreme Court Justice Tzvi Zilberthal. The resignation comes just days before a new phase of the commission's work is set to begin, which includes testimony from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.

Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit has appointed Justice Zilberthal as the new chairman and retired Judge Ruth Lorer, former president of the Central District Court, as a member of the commission. The commission was established in February 2022, with Justice Grunis appointed as its head in June of that year.

The submarine and naval vessel affair concerns decisions made regarding the procurement of submarines and warships for the Navy from the German company ThyssenKrupp. The investigation focuses on decision-making processes in deals worth billions of shekels, along with suspicions of conflicts of interest, involvement of intermediaries, and non-professional considerations in advancing the defense procurement.

Key transactions under review include the purchase of three submarines for approximately 1.5 billion euros and the acquisition of Sa'ar 6 corvettes for about 430 million euros. The investigation also examines changes in procurement plans, supplier selection processes, and Germany's approval to sell submarines to Egypt.

The change in the commission's composition occurs at a significant juncture, following the commission's announcement last week that it would begin hearing testimony related to personal warning letters sent to senior officials involved in the decision-making processes. According to the commission's schedule, testimonies are expected to commence on November 1, with Prime Minister Netanyahu scheduled to testify on December 7. All hearings will be held in private.

The commission had previously sent warning letters to five individuals: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister and IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon, former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen, former Navy Commander Ram Rotberg, and Avner Shimoni. Other senior officials summoned to testify include IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and former President Reuven Rivlin. Zamir's summons does not indicate suspicion against him, and he is not among those who received warning letters. Additional individuals called to testify include retired Brigadier General Avriel Bar Yosef, retired Major General Yaakov Amidror, retired Brigadier General Prof. Yaakov Nagel, retired Major General Amos Gilad, and other current and former senior defense officials.