Shai Nitzan named state prosecutor
Deputy attorney general selected by search committee to replace Moshe Lador, whose term ends next month. Deputy attorney general selected by search committee to replace Moshe Lador, whose term ends next month. Nitzan has been harshly criticized by right-wing groups for 'persecuting settlers'
Deputy Attorney General for Special Matters Shai Nitzan has been appointed Israel's new state prosecutor and will replace Moshe Lador, whose term will end next month.
Nitzan said Tuesday morning that "the search committee's decision is a great honor. The state prosecutor is an important and serious position. I am aware of the extreme responsibility." He added, however, that "we must wait for the justice minister's decision and the Israeli government's decision. We shall wait patiently
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Nitzan, who was the leading candidate for the position all along, was selected by a majority of votes by the search committee, which on Monday also interviewed Tel Aviv District Court Judge Avi Zamir, former Deputy State Prosecutor Yehoshua Lemberger and Jerusalem District Court Judge Zvi Segal.
Prof. Ariel Bendor, the academia's representative in the committee, said he thought Nitzan was a suitable candidate for the position but favored Lemberger.
The search committee which selected Nitzan as state prosecutor was headed by Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein. Its members included Public Service Commissioner Moshe Dayan, Justice Ministry Director-General Dr. Guy Rothkof, academia representative Prof. Ariel Bendor, and Attorney Rachel Toren as the public's representative.
Attorney General Weinstein (R) and outgoing State Prosecutor Moshe Lador (Archive photo: Motti Kimchi)
The Justice Ministry welcomed the search committee's decision on Monday night and praised its long deliberations. The discussion began at 5 pm Monday and ended at 2 am. The interviews with the different candidates were prolonged, ending at midnight.
A senior ministry official said that "the campaign aimed at influencing the search committee, as if the result was known in advance and Nitzan was favored by Weinstein, was an ugly spin which caused a lot of anger among the committee members."
Attorney General Weinstein told the committee members that he would not be affected by "elements trying to intimidate the committee through the media."
'Ability to lead changes'
The committee's selection is essentially just a recommendation to Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who is now expected to present Nitzan's nomination to the government. These appointments are usually accepted, but in light of right-wing group's objection to Nitzan's appointment, there may be an attempt to thwart the appointment in the government.
If the appointment goes through, Nitzan will replace Lador next month.
The search committee decided by a majority of votes to recommend to Minister Livni to appoint Nitzan as Israel's 11th state prosecutor. In their decision, the committee members said that Nitzan was the most suitable candidate for the job in light of the challenges and missions of the State Prosecutor's Office in the coming years.
Nitzan outside his home in Jerusalem (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
The committee wrote in its decision that "the role of state prosecutor requires leadership and professional authority, proficiency and professional experience, especially in the fields of criminal and administrative law, and ability to manage and motivate the system, teamwork abilities, familiarity with the system and of course honesty and integrity.
"At the end of the process, after examining the candidacy of the four people who appeared before the committee, it reached the conclusion that Attorney Nitzan stood out in his appearance."
According to the committee, "Nitzan convinced the committee in his ability to lead processes and changes in the State Prosecutor's Office, and impressed the committee in the exceptional professional and personal recommendations from experts in the legal world."
Internship with Aharon Barak
Nitzan, 53, who is married with five children, was born and raised in Jerusalem. He studied in the Netiv Meir Yeshiva before his military service. After graduating with honors from the Hebrew University's Faculty of Law, he served as an intern for then-Deputy Supreme Court President Prof. Aharon Barak, who was later nominated Supreme Court president.
Nitzan completed his master's degree with honors as well, and after a short period in the private sector he began his public career in the State Prosecutor's Office, at first as the assistant to then-State Attorney Dorit Beinish, who later went on to become Supreme Court president.
He was later placed in the High Court department, where he was required for the first time to defend the State. He was then made responsible of security-related cases in the State Prosecutor's Office.
Nitzan represented the State in a petition against targeted assassinations in the territories, which was eventually rejected, and in a petition against the Shin Bet's interrogation methods, which led to restricted interrogations.
In 2004, he was appointed deputy state prosecutor on special matters, a position in which he further represented the State on security issues, including in the Ben Zygier affair. Nitzan was the one who approved placing him in solitary confinement.
About two years ago, he was appointed deputy attorney general on special matters. He supported Attorney General Weinstein's stand that the main criminal case against Minister Avigdor Lieberman, on the straw companies, should be closed.
Those objecting Nitzan's appointment said that as bright as he may be, he is an attorney who never managed a criminal case and has no managerial experience. Those supporting Nitzan argued that his rich experience in the State Prosecutor's Office put him in contact with all types of cases, and that even if he had yet to manage a criminal case he had acquired the ability and knowledge and would be able to fill the role in the best way possible thanks to his skills.
Attorney Nitzan made headlines over the years due to his responsibility for enforcing the law against Jews in the West Bank and against incitement offenses. He has been harshly criticized by extreme right-wing groups, who claimed that he was persecuting Jewish settlers and rightists. Many protests were held outside his house, and a video calling for his murder was even distributed online.
Noam (Dabul) Dvir contributed to this report
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