Knesset grants Likud MK Gotliv immunity from prosecution for exposing Shin Bet agent’s identity

The Knesset votes to grant Likud MK Tally Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution for exposing the identity of a Shin Bet officer.

The plenum votes 61-48 to grant immunity on the grounds that Gotliv’s actions were carried out in the course of, or for the purpose of, fulfilling her duties as a member of Knesset, and 62-48 because the indictment was filed in bad faith or in a discriminatory manner.

Likud MK Yuli Edelstein was the only member of the coalition to vote against the measure.

The Attorney General’s Office announced last month that it was indicting Gotliv over social media posts from 2024 identifying the partner of anti-government protest leader Shikma Bressler as a Shin Bet agent, while promoting baseless conspiracy theories linking him to Hamas and insinuating that he bore responsibility for the October 7, 2023, terror onslaught.

Gotliv has not disputed the underlying facts and repeatedly argued during House Committee hearings that her actions were justified. The committee voted 11-3 earlier this week to recommend granting her immunity following three combative hearings.

Throughout the hearings, Gotliv used the proceedings to attack Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, portray herself as the target of a politically motivated witch hunt and advance conspiracy theories blaming the October 7, 2023 attacks on the judiciary, anti-government protestors and security forces.

Addressing the plenum ahead of today’s vote, Gotliv continued to claim the case against her was intended to “whitewash the senior leadership of the Shin Bet and blacken the government’s name” over October 7. Insisting that she was protected by parliamentary privilege, she declared that her actions “were done as part of my role, for the sake of my role and for the sake of the people.”

Gotliv’s parliamentary immunity will expire at the conclusion of the current Knesset’s term in the coming weeks.