Ruling overrides privacy concerns

Court: Zini Can Receive Petitioners' Names

Despite Justice Amit's suggestion during the hearing that Zini consider waiving access to the list, the Supreme Court determined he has the right to know who challenged his appointment

Gila Isaacson

SEP 3, 2026 17:11

2 min read

Israel's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Shin Bet director David Zini is entitled to receive the names of former security service members who filed petitions challenging his appointment.

The decision follows a hearing earlier this week in which the question of revealing the petitioners' identities to Zini became a central issue. Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit had asked Zini to consider whether he would be willing to forgo receiving the list. However, the court's final ruling determined that Zini has a legal right to obtain the names.

"The petitioners have not pointed to any legal source that would allow them to conceal their names from a person with appropriate security clearance who is a respondent to petitions filed against him," the court wrote in its decision.

The justices clarified, however, that receiving the list does not nullify existing publication restrictions. The ruling emphasized that providing the names to Zini does not authorize their public disclosure if such publication would violate legal provisions.

The court noted that "despite Zini's right to receive the list," he was asked during the hearing to consider waiving it. Ultimately, however, the panel determined that his right to know the petitioners' identities remains intact.

In their conclusion, Justices Yitzhak Amit, Noam Solberg, and Dor Mintz ordered the petitioners to reveal their names to Zini within seven days.