Israeli Attorney General Asks Supreme Court to Halt Senior Police Investigation Unit Appointments During Election Period

The Israeli Attorney General requested the Supreme Court on Thursday to stop the advancement of appointments for the new Police Investigations Unit director and the coordinator overseeing police investigations. The request was made amid concerns over politicization during the election period. The new unit, established by an amendment to the Police Ordinance, will investigate police officers and Shin Bet personnel independently from the general criminal prosecution system and will be subordinate to the Minister of Justice and his office director, who will control its budget.

The Attorney General's submission to the court argued that the Minister of Justice and his office director intend to push forward these appointments during the election campaign, despite the Minister not having finalized his position. The committee responsible for selecting the director and coordinator has not yet been fully formed, but the Minister influences three of its five members, allowing decisions to be made by a quorum potentially dominated by his representatives.

A public call for candidates for the director position was issued on June 25, with the application deadline extended three times to August 16. No call has been made for the coordinator role. The Attorney General warned that advancing these appointments now would create facts on the ground for the incoming government, as the director is expected to serve six years and the coordinator three. She emphasized there is no urgency to complete the appointments during the election period and that a temporary solution exists to allow the unit to continue functioning.

The Attorney General concluded by urging the court to prevent any steps toward finalizing these appointments during the sensitive pre-election period, citing potential harm to the Police Investigations Unit's operations and the broader law enforcement system.