Attorney General Rebukes Shin Bet Chief Over Interrogation Plan Lacking Evidence
Gali Baharav-Miara accused security chief David Zini of subverting democratic norms after he sought to question four Arab politicians without presenting proof for three of them.
By Anthony Foster ·
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara issued a rare public rebuke of Shin Bet chief David Zini, accusing the security chief of subverting democratic norms. The conflict centers on Zini's effort to question four Arab politicians in a case of alleged foreign election interference, yet he has not provided prosecutors with evidence regarding three of the individuals.
The dispute emerged in the days following the recent national elections, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition lost its majority. Reports from i24News on Tuesday detailed that Zini sought to interrogate Ra’am party head Mansour Abbas, Ta’al faction leader Ahmad Tibi, and Balad faction chief Sami Abu Shehadeh. A fourth senior Joint List MK, whose name is barred from publication, faces interrogation based on what the report described as compelling evidence. Abu Shehadeh was disqualified from running in last week's election.
Baharav-Miara requested the evidence before approving the interrogations, but the Shin Bet had not provided it for the three named politicians. The security agency also withheld the material from the police, despite the two bodies forming a joint team two days prior to the report. In a statement, the attorney general's office noted that in a country governed by the rule of law, citizens and elected officials cannot be interrogated without justifying evidence. The statement added that anyone needing to be questioned would be interrogated, but those without an evidentiary basis would not be.
Political parties reacted sharply to the reported investigations. The Joint List accused Zini of acting as a political arm for Netanyahu, arguing that he was delegitimizing the Arab public that voted against the government. Mansour Abbas stated that Ra’am members were willing to answer any summons, urging authorities to honor the voters' decision and denouncing the attempt to tarnish the Arab public. Conversely, Likud accused Baharav-Miara of preventing the interrogations to cover up the investigation into alleged election contamination. The party called for Justice Noam Sohlberg and the Central Elections Committee to clarify the truth.
Opposition figures also weighed in. Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot warned Zini not to politicize the Shin Bet, writing that the agency must serve the country rather than the king. He described Likud's actions as a pogrom on democracy and the rule of law. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, called the reports a grave warning sign and urged opposition leaders to form a government quickly. Golan said the next government must review Netanyahu's appointments, including Zini's, to ensure security agencies serve the state.
Officials have confirmed the election results are valid despite probes into a vote-buying scheme for Ra’am and a separate investigation into foreign interference reportedly by Qatar. On Sunday, Sohlberg, the chair of the Central Elections Committee, reiterated in a video message that the election was conducted properly. He appeared alongside Zini, CEC acting director general Dean Livne, and Baharav-Miara to present a united front against claims of widespread voter fraud. The authorities are working to reach a conclusion in the case, according to the attorney general's statement.
