The Supreme Court has ordered the Prime Minister to respond within 30 days to the suit filed against his appointment of Tzachi HaNegbi to the position of Minister of Public Security. The suit was filed by the Movement for Quality in Government, which claims that HaNegbi's past brushes with the law render him unfit for the post. The organization claims that HaNegbi, as head of the Public Security Ministry, would be responsible for many of the investigators who questioned him in the past. "There's practically no investigator that HaNegbi did not meet from the other side of the table," Atty. Eliad Shraga told the court today on behalf of the plaintiffs, "and there's no doubt that their promotions will be affected."
Arutz-7's Effie Meir reported from the Supreme Court that the plaintiffs also mentioned the probationary sentence meted out to HaNegbi in 1982 for "rioting on campus," an incident in 1986 in which he deceitfully concealed the above, his "involvement" with the Hevron/Bar-On affair of 1997, and most notably, the "Derekh Tzlecha" association he set up for which he was nearly indicted on charges of breach of trust.
Rubenstein advised Sharon two years ago not to appoint HaNegbi to positions having to do with the Justice or Police departments, and made similar recommendations this time - though he emphasized that the appointment was not illegal. Atty. Shraga said that Rubenstein should not make "pareve" statements of this nature: "He should either say straight out that it's a legal, acceptable appointment - or he should instruct Sharon to withdraw it." HaNegbi served as Justice Minister under Prime Minister Netanyahu, but Atty. Shraga explained that that was before the "Derekh Tzlecha" story.
State Atty. Osnat Mandel defended the current appointment, after a manner, by saying that the problematic nature of the appointment was not so extreme as to mandate court intervention in a political appointment of the Prime Minister.
Arutz-7's Effie Meir reported from the Supreme Court that the plaintiffs also mentioned the probationary sentence meted out to HaNegbi in 1982 for "rioting on campus," an incident in 1986 in which he deceitfully concealed the above, his "involvement" with the Hevron/Bar-On affair of 1997, and most notably, the "Derekh Tzlecha" association he set up for which he was nearly indicted on charges of breach of trust.
Rubenstein advised Sharon two years ago not to appoint HaNegbi to positions having to do with the Justice or Police departments, and made similar recommendations this time - though he emphasized that the appointment was not illegal. Atty. Shraga said that Rubenstein should not make "pareve" statements of this nature: "He should either say straight out that it's a legal, acceptable appointment - or he should instruct Sharon to withdraw it." HaNegbi served as Justice Minister under Prime Minister Netanyahu, but Atty. Shraga explained that that was before the "Derekh Tzlecha" story.
State Atty. Osnat Mandel defended the current appointment, after a manner, by saying that the problematic nature of the appointment was not so extreme as to mandate court intervention in a political appointment of the Prime Minister.