Beinisch: Israel's intelligence officers are not above the law

The Israel Security Agency’s (Shin Bet) activities should be more carefully monitored by law enforcement bodies, retired Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch said Wednesday during the annual “Transparency Shield Award” ceremony held by the Israeli branch of Transparency International (TI).

During the award ceremony, hosted by TI Israel leader Ofer Neeman, Beinisch said that “in a democratic country the objective doesn’t always justify all the means,” adding, “the Shin Bet is not above the law.”

Three former ISA officials were awarded the “Transparency Shield” during Wednesday’s ceremony - Reuven Hazak, Peleg Radai and Rafi Malka - who in the 1980s went to then Attorney-General Yitzchak Zamir and exposed the “culture of lies,” as Beinisch referred to it, that dominated the security body in those years.

Beinisch was referring to the Bus 300 (Kav 300) affair that became exposed in 1984 while she served as deputy state prosecutor. The affair surrounded the execution of two Arab bus hijackers by ISA members. The hijackers were captured and killed immediately following the end of the hostage crisis incident. After the event, the ISA members presented false testimonies over their involvement in the execution of the hijackers.

Beinish said the granting of the award to the three former ISA officials marks recognition and appreciation of “three senior officials who came to the attorney-general with tears in their eyes and paid a high personal price.”

The former Supreme Court president added that only during the exposure of the Bus 300 affair did she realize how powerful and determined the ISA was.

“Only then did we realize that this power had been abused for evil, and those who sought to question these actions were portrayed as an enemy of the people,” Beinisch said. “Lying is the root of all evil.”

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