Justice Ministry Keeps Police Investigations Unit Selection Committee Member Secret Amid Pressure Campaign
Following the Knesset's approval of a new independent Police Investigations Department (Mahash), the Israeli Justice Ministry is concealing the identity of one member of the selection committee tasked with appointing its director. This secrecy stems from intelligence that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and her associates are actively trying to identify and pressure committee members to resign, aiming to derail the establishment of the independent unit.
Despite the law's final passage and the Supreme Court's refusal to issue an injunction against Mahash's formation, the Justice Ministry faces intense interference attempts. The committee, led by Justice Ministry Director-General Itamar Donenfeld and Civil Service Commissioner Avi Amiram, includes a third member whose name remains confidential to protect them from intimidation. Another member, expected to be appointed by the Knesset State Control Committee, may not be named due to opposition cooperation with the prosecution, leaving the committee operating with fewer members as legally permitted.
The selection committee has already published a call for candidates for Mahash's director but postponed the application deadline after initial candidates failed to meet criteria or were deemed vulnerable to prosecutorial pressure. One serious candidate, attorney Roy Kahlon, faces ongoing disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Attorney General's office, which critics say are being unduly prolonged.
Justice Ministry insiders describe the situation as "completely insane," emphasizing the need to shield the committee from the Attorney General's influence, which the law explicitly forbids. They argue this interference underscores the necessity of an independent Mahash, as highlighted in a State Comptroller report citing inherent conflicts of interest when Mahash remains part of the prosecution. Critics accuse the Attorney General and prosecution of fighting to maintain control over the unit, which they claim is illegal and undermines the law's intent.
