Head of the Police Investigations Division Excluded from Government Meeting on Spyware – and the Legal Advisor Refused to Participate
The legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara and the state attorney Amit Isman refused to attend a government meeting on spyware due to the exclusion of Police Investigations Division head Boaz Balat.
The Israeli government's meeting on the spyware controversy faced significant turmoil as Gali Baharav-Miara, the legal advisor to the government, and Amit Isman, the state attorney, opted not to participate after Police Investigations Division head Boaz Balat was barred from entering. This decision followed State Comptroller findings that the police used invasive technological methods to breach personal devices without authorization, raising serious legal and ethical concerns. This meeting comes on the heels of a recent resignation of the members of the government committee investigating the spyware scandal, who voiced their inability to uncover the truth due to governmental obstruction.
Tensions escalated when National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir refused to allow Balat to take part in the discussion, prompting the police commissioner to withdraw from the meeting in protest, leading to Baharav-Miara and Isman leaving in frustration. Senior officials familiar with the matter criticized the nature of the meeting, describing it as a political charade. They lamented the missed opportunity to advance necessary legislation on spyware, highlighting the urgent need for such regulation to guide police practices responsibly.
The context of this situation underlines the deeper issues surrounding governmental transparency and police accountability in Israel, particularly in light of the spyware allegations. The ongoing tensions between government ministries, especially regarding national security, emphasize the complexities and challenges faced in establishing appropriate legal frameworks to govern the use of surveillance technology. Without consensus and a proactive legislative approach, the ramifications for public trust and police integrity remain at stake within Israeli society.