Knesset Committee Approves Immunity Request for MK Tally Gotliv

The Knesset House Committee voted on Monday to approve MK Tally Gotliv’s request for immunity from criminal prosecution. The decision now goes to the full Knesset, which will decide whether the case against her will be suspended for the duration of the current parliament.

Eleven lawmakers backed the request: Ofir Katz, Nissim Vaturi, Amit Halevi, Moshe Saada, Avichay Buaron, Simcha Rothman, Uriel Busso, Yosef Taieb, Yitzhak Goldknopf, Mikhail Boscila and Limor Son Har-Melech. Three lawmakers opposed it, Oded Forer, Naor Shiri and Merav Ben Ari.

During the committee hearings, Gotliv argued that the indictment was filed in bad faith and insisted she was entitled to immunity. She said, "The immunity of Knesset members is sacred. The attempt to intimidate those who do their work will not help you. I deliberately exposed the partner of Shikma Bressler. It was clear to me as day that there was subversion and rebellion that the Shin Bet did not investigate."

Gotliv was indicted last month for disclosure and publication of classified information under the Shin Bet law, an offense carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison. According to the indictment, she published on X the identity and details of a Shin Bet officer, the partner of protest activist Shikma Bressler, partly by sharing a post from the website "Edna Karnaval." If the plenum approves immunity, the criminal proceedings will be frozen until the current Knesset’s term ends, and Gotliv would need to seek immunity again after a new Knesset is formed to prevent the case from resuming. A poll published last weekend found about 55% of the public opposed granting her immunity, while 41% supported it and 4% had no opinion.