National Security Council Moves to Require Polygraph Tests for All Employees

Israel's National Security Council (NSC) is considering a significant change in how its employees access classified information. On Wednesday, the Ministerial Committee on Security Affairs will discuss NSC head Shmuel Ben Ezra's proposal to mandate periodic polygraph tests for all NSC staff. This initiative follows a security limitation revealed during the recent war, where some NSC personnel, including senior officials, were denied access to certain intelligence materials because they did not undergo ongoing polygraph screenings.

Unlike other Israeli security agencies such as the Shin Bet, Mossad, and the IDF, where periodic polygraph tests are standard for security clearance, the NSC currently only requires a polygraph at the start of employment. The push for change began before Ben Ezra assumed office, after resistance from the Shin Bet and intelligence community to granting NSC staff access to sensitive materials without continuous polygraph verification.

The Shin Bet is expected to conduct the polygraph tests. Initially, some professionals within the NSC expressed concerns about imposing this requirement on all employees due to manpower and resource constraints. However, Shin Bet chief David Zini approved the proposal. The Shin Bet declined to comment on the report, while the NSC stated it does not disclose classified materials or the content of confidential discussions.