Israeli Attorney General Unlikely to Approve Polygraph Probe into Leak of 'Operation Roaring Lion' Start Date

The Israeli Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, is expected to decline the request from Shin Bet chief David Zini and government ministers to conduct polygraph tests in the investigation of a suspected leak regarding the timing of the "Operation Roaring Lion" launch to Channel 12 news. The main consideration for the Attorney General will be whether the alleged leak caused actual harm to Israel's security or operational interests.

Legal advisors typically avoid political investigations into leaks, especially close to Knesset elections, due to concerns that such probes could be exploited by political factions and might undermine press freedom amid ongoing government tensions with the media. Additionally, the involvement of a security agency like Shin Bet in a politically sensitive investigation raises fears of politicizing state security bodies.

If the Attorney General concludes that no significant security damage occurred, she is likely to refrain from intervening in the leak investigation. Past guidelines from former Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein emphasize that polygraph tests should only be used when there is a focused suspicion based on prior investigation, not as a general screening. Rubinstein also stated that polygraphs are justified only when protecting vital public interests or preventing harm to such interests, which is not automatically the case in leak investigations.

The decision will weigh the potential security impact of the leak and the risks of involving senior officials in polygraph examinations, balancing the need to protect state secrets against the principles of press freedom and political neutrality in security investigations.