[...]This minor story provides a peek into an unknown institution, the special court for the intelligence community, tasked with hearing disciplinary matters. It is a privilege granted only to the Mossad espionage agency and the Shin Bet security service; all other disciplinary issues involving civil servants are heard in regular state courts. Established decades ago out of an obsessive attempt to maintain total secrecy, the special court of the intelligence community must always be headed by a jurist; two laymen, one from Shin Bet and the other from Mossad, serve alongside.
Mudrik has served in this post since 1998, and his substitute is Hammer. The court is authorized to hear practically every violation by Mossad or Shin Bet personnel whose chiefs feel should be kept secret - and they usually maintain that any matter relating to their organizations is confidential and that it's best they remain out of the public eye. Cases range from sexual harassment during an operation in which Mossad agents pretend to be a couple, or a case officer pocketing "a commission" from the money he was to have paid his agent - and such things did happen.
Three years ago, the Civil Service Commission managed to appropriate the authority to discuss certain crimes, such as customs evasion and sexual harassment, and transfer them to the commission's disciplinary court. In all other matters, however, the special court of the intelligence community retains broad and unjustified authorities. There is no need for such a court and Mossad and Shin Bet personnel should be tried as ordinary Israeli citizens when they violate the law. [...]
