Chair of inquiry commission into submarine affair steps down for health reasons

Former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis stepped down on Sunday from his role as chairman of the state commission of inquiry into the so-called submarine affair, due to medical reasons.

The affair centers on allegations of a massive bribery scheme in the multibillion-shekel state purchase of naval vessels from German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp in the early 2010s. The case led to a number of indictments against close confidants of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though not the premier himself.

The inquiry is also dealing with the sale of naval vessels by allies of Israel to third-party countries with Israeli approval, which the commission has already found was conducted “in chaos and without clear direction, in a manner that endangered state security.”

In the wake of Grunis’s departure, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit appointed former Supreme Court justice Zvi Zylbertal, who has been serving on the commission since it was established in 2022, as the new chairman. Amit also appointed president of the Central-Lod District Court Ruth Lorch as a new member of the inquiry.

“I wish to express my deep appreciation to [former] president Asher Grunis for his dedicated and professional work, and for his significant contribution to leading the commission’s efforts from its inception to the present day, and I wish him good health,” said Amit.

“I thank retired Supreme Court justice Zvi Zylbertal for his willingness to assume the role of chair, and Judge Ruth Lorch for her willingness to join the committee as a member. I am confident that the commission will continue its work with professionalism, independence, and thoroughness, and I wish its members success in completing the task.”

Last week, the commission summoned Netanyahu, former Mossad director Yossi Cohen, former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Yaalon, former navy commander Ram Rothberg, and former National Security Council official Avner Simchoni to provide testimony.

The testimony is set to be given behind closed doors, and will provide the five men who, in 2024, were issued with warnings over the affair the opportunity to defend themselves against the possibility of being found responsible for failings in the matter.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israeli Navy chief Vice Adm. Eyal Harel, and former president Reuven Rivlin were also summoned to give testimony, though they are not suspected of wrongdoing.

In January, Grunis, 81, was rushed to the hospital in serious condition after reportedly suffering a medical event. He was president of the Supreme Court in 2012-2015 and currently chairs the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee. It was not immediately clear if he would also be stepping down from that role.

The state commission of inquiry into the submarine affair was established in 2022 during then-prime minister Naftali Bennett’s tenure, to examine submarine and naval vessel purchases that occurred on Netanyahu’s watch and the sale by the German Thyssenkrupp company of submarines and naval vessels to Egypt with Netanyahu’s apparent approval.

In January, the commission issued a finding stating that Israeli governments had failed to establish clear policies and strategy, made case-specific decisions, and ignored the broader picture of the country’s security requirements “in a manner that endangered state security.”

In addition, it found that “conversations and understandings” between ministers and prime ministers with foreign entities “were not documented,” despite the responsibility to do so.

The commission’s document of recommendations released in January did not include an analysis of personal responsibility for the failings, and the formulation and publication of those findings will only happen once petitions filed to the High Court of Justice by those warned by the commission about their possible culpability, including Netanyahu, have been adjudicated.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.