High Court Voids Three Second Authority Appointments

Israel’s High Court unanimously voided government appointments of Dr. Yifat Ben Hai-Segev as Second Authority council chair and Kinneret Barashi and Dr. Haim Schein as members. President Yitzhak Amit found Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu violated his conflict-of-interest arrangement by placing the issue on the cabinet agenda, invoking Rule 9, participating and voting while Ben Hai-Segev remained a prosecution witness in his criminal trial. The court held that a later vote without Netanyahu did not cure the original decision. By 2-1, it also returned other incoming members for renewed Appointments Review Committee examination.