Israel's Attorney General Delays Probe Into Aides of Joint List Lawmakers

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has informed the Shin Bet security agency that investigating parliamentary aides to lawmakers from the Joint List, in connection with foreign influence in elections, requires her special approval. This decision comes as the Shin Bet requested to question these aides as part of an investigation into suspicions against a Knesset member. According to a report by Michael Shemesh on Channel 13, the Attorney General clarified that because the investigation concerns suspicions against a Knesset member, the probing of their parliamentary aides must be considered part of the investigation into the Knesset member themselves. Consequently, the immunity rules and procedures required for investigating Knesset members also apply to their aides.

The report emerges amid an ongoing Shin Bet investigation into allegations of foreign funding for elections. The Attorney General stated that the Shin Bet must first establish the suspicions against the Knesset member before she will consider approving their summons for questioning, along with their parliamentary aides. This decision highlights the legal complexities involved in investigating public officials and their staff.

The Likud party responded to the report, calling the Attorney General's alleged delay in investigating Arab party Knesset members and their aides "selective enforcement on steroids." The party claimed Baharav-Miara has easily approved investigations into ministers, Knesset members, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, and advisors in other cases. The Likud accused her of obstructing the truth in a serious case of foreign interference in Israeli elections and demanded she allow the Shin Bet to complete its investigation, accusing her of attempting to cover up the truth as she allegedly did with the investigation into the Military Advocate General.