High Court rejects petitions against appointment of David Zini as Shin Bet chief
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December 28, 2025
December 28, 2025
Israel's Heritage Minister: Bedouin terrorism as dangerous as Hamas; these are 'terrorists with Israeli ID cards'
After Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir promised in an interview to increase the crackdown on Bedouin communities in light of clashes and criminal incidents, and established a checkpoint by the entrance of the Bedouin village of Tabarin, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu wrote on X that "Bedouin terrorism is no less dangerous than jihadist terrorism. These are terrorists with blue [Israeli] ID cards who are armed with weapons and spend their free time in the terrorist nests of Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus, importing women and extremist ideological ideas from there."
Far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu in the Knesset. Credit: Sraya Diamant
Far-right Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu in the Knesset. Credit: Sraya Diamant
"We must apply the same measures against them that are used against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, regardless of the color of their ID card, and preferably sooner."
State prosecutor's office working to bring prime Qatargate suspect, currently in Serbia, to Israel
The State Prosecutor's office announced on Sunday that it is working to bring Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, a former campaign adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a prime suspect in both the "Bibileaks" and "Qatargate" affairs, to Israel.
Einhorn currently resides in Serbia, and was interrogated in July at the Serbian Justice Ministry regarding his connection to the two cases.
![Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July.](https://img.haarets.co.il/bs/00000198-bc1d-dc9d-abd9-bfdfc1e30001/2b/3f/3947e36c4c908282ba0882abf6b5/506868.jpg?&width=420&height=280&cmsprod "Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July. Credit: Filip Kraincanic")
![Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July.](https://img.haarets.co.il/bs/00000198-bc1d-dc9d-abd9-bfdfc1e30001/2b/3f/3947e36c4c908282ba0882abf6b5/506868.jpg?&width=420&height=280&cmsprod "Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July. Credit: Filip Kraincanic")
Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July. Credit: Filip Kraincanic
Israel "Srulik" Einhorn, in the center, arriving to the investigation in Serbia, in July. Credit: Filip Kraincanic
The State Prosecutor's office declined to publish more details on the matter, saying that publication might disrupt the process or lead to Einhorn's escape.
RECAP: High court rejects petitions against Shin Bet chief; court extends house arrest of settlers who attacked Arab family by just two days
Here are Sunday's latest updates:
■ The High Court rejected the petitions against the appointment of David Zini as Shin Bet chief, with a majority opinion by Justices Noam Solberg and David Mintz against the dissenting opinion of High Court President Isaac Amit. Amit's dissent stated that the discussion of Zini's appointment should be returned to the Grunis Committee, an independent advisory committee chaired by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, since it did not examine Prime Minister Netanyahu's integrity at the time of his appointment of Zini.
■ The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court extended the house arrest of the three suspects in the attack on an Arab family in Jaffa earlier this month by two days, contrary to the police's request for a ten-day extension.
■ National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Sunday that he had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against employing his former spokesman, Eli Feldstein, saying he was "not reliable, to put it mildly." In an interview with Radio 103FM, the far-right minister said that anyone involved in the affair linking Prime Minister's Office aides to Qatar "should be sent to prison for many years."
■ Palestinian media reported that a car was torched and hateful graffiti was sprayed on a house in the city of Huwara, south of Nablus, in the West Bank. According to documentation from the scene, the house was sprayed with the words "Revenge, greetings from Beit She'an" alongside a Star of David.
■ The judges overseeing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial approved a request by his defense attorneys to cancel two hearings this week.
■ Arab Israeli attorney Maha Ighbaria, who was suspended by the Israeli Bar Association in early December on the basis of two Facebook posts she wrote on October 7 and 8, 2023, filed an appeal with the Bar Association's court against the verdict.
■ Dozens of activists braved the rain and cold to stand in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on Sunday morning to protest his governance and what they view as an unnecessary departure to the United States.
Court extends house arrest of settlers who attacked Arab family in Jaffa by two days, although police requested longer extension
The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court extended the house arrest of the three suspects in the attack on an Arab family in Jaffa earlier this month by two days, contrary to the police's request for a ten-day extension.
The police representative at the hearing, Attorney Lt. Col. Israel Sionov, initially requested that the suspects' house arrest terms be extended by ten days. The court asked why ten days additional of house arrest were required given the limited number of investigative actions that still had to be carried out, and Sionov replied: "This is a matter of solid reasonable suspicion," and that the days were required "for the prosecution to decide whether to file an indictment."
The suspects' defense attorney, Assaf Gonen from the Honenu organization, which provides legal aid to far-right activists, settlers, and soldiers, asked for the house arrest to be completely lifted, as this was a one-time incident that had been investigated for weeks.
The three men suspected of attacking an Arab family in Jaffa, at the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
The three men suspected of attacking an Arab family in Jaffa, at the Tel Aviv Magistrate Court, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
Last week, the court released the three suspects to six days of house arrest under restrictive conditions – including posting bail, a ban on contacting anybody involved in the case for 30 days and reporting for police questioning when summoned. Judge Roy Perry said in his decision that he believes that "there is probable cause on the grounds of dangerousness."
A police representative said that the prosecution agreed with the decision, but the prosecutor's office told Haaretz that they believed the suspects' detention should be extended for questioning.
Hanan Khimel, the woman who was attacked, and her mother-in-law, Faryal, who was with her at the time of the attack, criticized the court's decision. "Since the attack, we have been living in constant fear," they said.
The woman who was assaulted, Hanan Khimel, in Jaffa. Credit: Moti Milrod
The woman who was assaulted, Hanan Khimel, in Jaffa. Credit: Moti Milrod
"The children are having trouble sleeping, and the entire family is dealing with severe psychological consequences. The decision to release the suspects to house arrest intensifies our sense of abandonment."
Israel Police set up blocks at entrance to Bedouin village in the Negev; Residents: Police actions are collective punishment
Israel Police set up a block on one of the lanes at the entrance to the Bedouin village of Tarabin in the Negev, after Ben-Gvir gave an interview earlier on Sunday morning in which he promised to increase the crackdown on Negev communities in light of clashes and criminal incidents in recent days.
Several minors threw stones at the police, one of whom was arrested.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Police Chief Danny Levy also arrived at the scene.
Ben-Gvir accompanied by Israel Police officers near the village of Tabarin.
Ben-Gvir accompanied by Israel Police officers near the village of Tabarin.
Tabarin residents complained that the police's actions constituted illegal collective punishment. "The police are attacking the community for no reason, what is happening here is a show," says Abed Tarabin, a council member.
"You can't punish an entire community. We are not against the state, Ben Gvir is only harming Bedouin society."
Arab Israeli attorney suspended for Oct. 7 Facebook post files appeal
Arab Israeli attorney Maha Ighbaria, who was suspended by the Israeli Bar Association in early December on the basis of two Facebook posts she wrote on October 7 and 8, 2023, filed an appeal with the Bar Association's court against the verdict.
In the first, posted at 7:30 A.M. on October 7, Igbaria wrote, "Good morning Gaza," in Arabic accompanied by a white heart emoji and a Palestinian flag.
A day later, in response to various comments, she wrote, "I'll just say it to save time: I'm Palestinian, let's start with that. Even if I'm your friend, I have always been and will always be on the side of my people, wherever they are, and by any means of resistance they choose in response to occupation, siege and apartheid. I'm not going to respond to your attempts to put me in the position of answering, explaining, or defending myself."
Maha Ighbaria.
Maha Ighbaria.
The Bar Association's disciplinary court ruled that the posts conveyed "understanding," granted legitimacy and expressed solidarity with a "large-scale and murderous terrorist act." Citing the need for "clear and deterrent punishment," the court ordered her suspension, preventing Igbaria from practicing law for the coming year. No criminal proceedings have been opened against her.
The appeal, filed through Adalah – the Legal Center for Arab Rights in Israel, claims that Igbariya's statements are permissible under criminal law and that her conviction was made without authority since they are not related to the core of the profession. In addition, it is claimed that the sentence is "extremely unusual in its severity compared to the penalties used for speech offenses by lawyers."
As part of the appeal, Agbariya's lawyers emphasized that she "testifies that in her publications she did not support and had no intention of supporting in any way the massacre carried out on October 7 by Hamas."
Ben-Gvir: Anyone involved in Qatargate should be in prison ‘for many years’
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Sunday that he had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against employing his former spokesman, Eli Feldstein, saying he was "not reliable, to put it mildly."
Eli Feldstein attending a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on the BibiLeaks affair, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
Eli Feldstein attending a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on the BibiLeaks affair, earlier this month. Credit: Itai Ron
In an interview with Radio 103FM, the far-right minister said that anyone involved in the affair linking Prime Minister's Office aides to Qatar, which was exposed by Haaretz, "should be sent to prison for many years."
At the same time, he stressed that, in his view, Netanyahu himself – who is a "Zionist patriot" – had no connection to the affair.
"Do you really think Netanyahu sits there reading every message sent to the media?" Ben-Gvir said.
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