Shin Bet Sends Policy Head Instead of Legal Advisor to Closed Knesset Hearing on Attorney General Role Split

A day after Channel 13 revealed that Shin Bet chief David Zini prevented the agency's legal advisor from attending a discussion on the potential harm of the proposed split of the Attorney General role, the government legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara requested Shin Bet to send a representative to the closed hearing held on Tuesday. Instead of the legal advisor, Zini sent the head of the policy department. During the session, the Shin Bet representative stated that the agency is a governmental body subject to the law but did not express a position on the bill.

The decision on who would represent Shin Bet was made following a conversation between Zini and the agency's legal advisor. Last month, the Knesset plenum approved in a first reading a bill to split the Attorney General role into two separate positions: Attorney General and Legal Advisor, with 65 supporting votes against 47 opposing. The coalition is advancing two parallel bills, led by MKs Simcha Rothman and Hanoch Milwitsky, aiming to fundamentally restructure the state's legal advisory and enforcement system.

The proposed changes designate the Attorney General as solely responsible for criminal law and prosecution, operating with full independence from political authorities. Shin Bet stated that its representative participated in the closed-door hearing and that the agency's positions are consolidated by the chief and presented regardless of the representative's identity. No further details about the discussion were disclosed due to its confidential nature.