Israel's High Court of Justice has approved a compromise agreement reached between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara regarding the appointment of the next head of the Shin Bet security agency.
Under the agreement, the prime minister will notify the Advisory Committee for Senior Appointments of his nominee for the position on September 11, 2025. The committee will evaluate the candidate based on its legal authority and publish a public notice, allowing for five days of public comment.
The current acting Shin Bet chief will continue to serve until the new appointment takes effect.
A key clause in the agreement states that the new Shin Bet chief will not be involved, directly or indirectly, in the "Qatargate" and "Bild" investigations until the attorney general's office completes its review and issues a formal conflict-of-interest arrangement. This provision addresses concerns over a potential conflict of interest involving Netanyahu's role in the appointment process.
The court emphasized that while it approved the agreement in light of the circumstances and based on confidential material presented by Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, the approval does not indicate a waiver of the original claims made by either Netanyahu or Baharav-Miara.
Petitioners have until July 14 to notify the court whether they intend to pursue their petitions further.
