Civil Rights Groups Demand Investigation Into Shin Bet Officials Over Alleged Illegal Surveillance

The civil rights organization Lavi and the movement Im Tirtzu have filed an urgent petition to Israel's Supreme Court against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The petition demands a conditional order requiring the Attorney General to explain why no criminal investigation has been opened against senior Shin Bet officials. The groups allege that these officials unlawfully used intercepted surveillance materials to obstruct the appointment of David Zini as head of the Shin Bet.

According to the petition, Shin Bet operated spyware against an employee suspected of leaking information. During this operation, it was discovered that the employee met with retired Major General David Zini prior to his approval by the Grunis Committee for the Shin Bet leadership. The petitioners claim that senior Shin Bet officials shared classified surveillance information with the advisory committee responsible for senior appointments, violating the Wiretapping Law and the Shin Bet Law, which prohibit disclosing confidential information to unauthorized parties. This was allegedly done to prevent Zini's appointment.

The petition also raises serious suspicions against a former acting head of Shin Bet, identified only as "Sh'", who was himself a candidate for the position. It accuses him of a conflict of interest and misuse of classified information to sabotage a competitor, actions that could constitute fraud and breach of trust. The petition states, "This conflict of interest involved severe misconduct, including the use of secret information and intercepted surveillance for purposes other than intended."

Since October 2025, the petitioners say they have approached the Attorney General five times demanding an investigation, but received no response. They describe this as an "unexplained refusal" that necessitates judicial intervention. Representatives of Lavi and Im Tirtzu stated, "Israeli democracy is severely harmed when the Shin Bet is exploited for political sabotage and espionage. We expect the Supreme Court judges to uphold Israeli democracy as promised."