Shin Bet expressed reservations, Zini approved: all NSC employees to undergo polygraph

The ministerial committee on Shin Bet affairs will convene on Wednesday to discuss — and likely approve — a request by the new head of the National Security Council (NSC), Shmuel Ben Ezra, to mandate polygraph testing for all employees of the NSC.

The demand stems from the fact that professional-level NSC employees were previously denied access to many intelligence materials, as they lacked the required security clearance, which includes periodic continuous polygraph testing. The Shin Bet, responsible for conducting these tests, expressed reservations regarding the mandate due to resource and manpower constraints. Despite this, Shin Bet director David Zini approved Ben Ezra's request.

Staff work on this issue began prior to Ben Ezra's tenure, following objections from Shin Bet and other intelligence officials during the war regarding the exposure of NSC personnel — including those in senior positions — to classified materials, citing the lack of continuous polygraph monitoring.

In other security agencies, such as the Shin Bet, the Mossad, or the IDF, officials are required to undergo regular polygraph testing to maintain security clearance. At the NSC, by contrast, staff undergo a polygraph only upon hiring, which has historically restricted their access to sensitive intelligence.

The Shin Bet declined to comment on the report. The National Security Council responded:

"The NSC does not comment on classified materials or the content of closed discussions."