High Court implores justice minister and AG to reach compromise on Sde Teiman leak probe

High Court Justice Yael Willner say she “implores” the opposing sides of the petitions over the investigation into the Sde Teiman video leak to come to a compromise agreement over who will oversee the criminal probe into the scandal.

It appears, therefore, that the court is neither inclined to allow the appointment by Justice Minister Yariv Levin of State Ombudsman for Judges Asher Kula to oversee the investigation, nor to back the attorney general’s position that the state attorney should be given the task.

Willner says that one option for compromise would be for the opposing sides to empower the court to appoint either a serving or retired district court judge, or a retired Supreme Court judge, to do the job.

Another option, Willner says, is to empower the Israel Securities Authority or the Israel Competition Authority to conduct the investigation.

“We are implore you, from the public’s perspective, to reach an agreement,” says Willner, in reference to how politically and societally charged the Sde Teiman leak affair has become.

“Deliberate on it until white smoke comes out,” she says, a reference to the often hard-fought agreement on appointing a new pope. “We will wait for you here until five o’clock, until six o’clock, seven o’clock and even later. Just reach an agreement.”