Behadrei Haredimביטחון07:50

Shin Bet Security Review Blocks Candidates From Sharia Court Judicial Posts for First Time

מאת מאיר רוזן

דתי

עברית · 2 מערכות מסקרות

Plus

Shin Bet conducted a security review of Sharia court judge candidates before their appointment, leading to the disqualification of several with ties to a banned Islamic Movement faction. This marks the first time such pre-appointment vetting influenced the committee's decisions under the Ministry of Justice.

הידיעה ב-6 שורות · תקציר של baba

Shin Bet provided a pre-appointment security assessment on Sharia court judge candidates for the first time.
Several candidates were disqualified due to links with the banned northern branch of the Islamic Movement.
The selection committee includes ministers, judges, Bar Association reps, and Knesset members.
Ministers Orit Strook and Dudi Amsalem pushed for Shin Bet's involvement after independent candidate checks.
Typically, security vetting occurs post-appointment and is not shared before voting.
One candidate withdrew over social media posts; another was rejected due to a Hamas-linked recommender.

For the first time, the Israeli internal security service, Shin Bet, provided a security assessment on candidates for Sharia court judgeships before their appointment votes. Following this assessment, the committee responsible for selecting Sharia judges decided not to consider several candidates. This committee operates under the Ministry of Justice and appoints judges to Sharia courts, which handle personal status and family law matters for Israel's Muslim population across the country.

The committee includes ministers Dudi Amsalem and Orit Strook, senior Sharia court judges, representatives from the Bar Association, and Knesset members Ahmad Tibi, Mansour Abbas, and Yinon Azoulai. The security review was initiated after Minister Strook demanded that Shin Bet investigate any ties candidates might have to terrorist organizations, a request supported by Minister Amsalem. Shin Bet's investigation revealed that some candidates had connections to the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, which is designated as an illegal organization.

After a heated discussion, the committee chose to disqualify these candidates and not proceed with their appointments. This is unprecedented, as security vetting for judges typically occurs only after their selection due to their access to classified information, and results are not shared with the committee before voting. The ministers' call for Shin Bet's involvement followed Strook's independent background checks during candidate interviews.

Additionally, one candidate withdrew after being questioned about social media posts, and another was rejected because a recommender was Hussein al-Tartouri, a former Hamas government minister in 2007 under Ismail Haniyeh.

הסיקור