Zini: "The petitioners showed contempt for the court"; President Amit: "It does not do you any good"

At a hearing held this morning (Sunday) at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, requested a ruling that the petitioners against his appointment showed contempt for the court by refusing to reveal their names.

The President of the Supreme Court, Isaac Amit, stated: "In my personal opinion, the head of the service would do well to reconsider his position. It is not certain that this does him any good."

During the hearing, Zini's attorney, Adv. Yaakov Kerem, argued that the names of the petitioners must be published, asserting that it is unacceptable for petitioners to act at their own discretion and refuse to identify themselves. Zini was unable to explain to the court why he is so insistent on obtaining the names. Their attorney, Adv. Eitan Peleg, explained that "they fear retaliation from the head of the service."

Furthermore, Adv. Peleg argued that no specific judicial order was issued compelling the petitioners to provide their names, and therefore contempt of court cannot be established. Although the verdict stated that Zini has the right to see the names, no formal order was issued compelling the petitioners to do so.

Judge David Mintz and the Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Noam Sohlberg, noted during the hearing that a litigant has the right to know who has petitioned against them. Judge Sohlberg added that he had assumed his recommendation to Zini in the verdict not to insist on the publication of the list would be accepted.

The head of the Shin Bet filed the request to the Supreme Court about a month and a half ago, demanding a ruling against the petitioners according to the Contempt of Court Ordinance. This followed the disclosure of the identities of 186 former employees and managers, which the court ordered to be revealed, but which were provided only by initials. The request claims that they "are refraining from complying with the court's decision from June 30, which orders the delivery of the full list of petitioners."

Zini noted that his attorneys contacted attorneys Eitan Peleg and Nir Kahat, representing the petitioners, with a demand to transfer the full list without delay. According to Zini, the latter refused the request and even suggested that the list would be delivered only if Zini called the petitioners' attorney personally, which was perceived by the head of the Shin Bet as disrespectful.

In response to the correspondence on the matter, Adv. Peleg replied that "the obsessive preoccupation with this matter is ridiculous" and that "the court's decision has exhausted the matter."