Minutes before Shabbos, in an attempt to avoid media attention, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara submitted a request for another hearing on the Supreme Court ruling that authorized Justice Minister Yariv Levin to appoint an external figure to oversee the Sdei Teiman case.

Baharav-Miara’s request came despite the Supreme Court’s ruling barring her from being involved in the case due to a conflict of interest.

She claimed in the petition that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent by allowing the direct political involvement of the Justice Minister in an active criminal investigation.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin fired back: “How are they not ashamed? Minutes before Shabbos, cynically exploiting state resources, the Prosecutor’s Office submits a disgraceful request for another hearing. All this while ignoring the explicit ruling regarding the severe conflict of interest in which the Attorney General and the State Attorney find themselves.”

“Those who are supposed to be a fortress of integrity and guardians of the law will stop at nothing to prevent an investigation that will uncover the truth. What are you trying to hide?”

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “The Attorney General’s request for an additional hearing on the unequivocal ruling of the three Supreme Court justices in the ex-Military Advocate General case is a professional and moral low point. This comes after it was determined that she and senior officials in the state prosecution have a ‘broad institutional conflict of interest’ in the case.”

“It is clear that public trust does not concern this group at all. But there’s something more here: an obvious desire to cover up and prevent the truth from emerging. It won’t work this time.”

Meanwhile, leftist Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit froze Levin’s appointment of retired judge Yosef Ben-Hamo to oversee the Sde Teiman investigation, issuing an interim injunction overnight Wednesday in response to a left-wing organization’s petition against it.

According to the ruling, the Justice Minister, the Attorney General, and the State Attorney’s Office must submit their responses to the petition by Sunday at 2 p.m.

Levin responded with fury, stating, “The cover‑up campaign under the auspices of the Supreme Court has reached a new peak of disgrace. An order issued in the dead of night, once again blocking oversight of an investigation of the utmost importance, effectively preventing the search for truth. As if time stands still, as if the delays so far were not enough—this is unprecedented in Israeli history. I demand the immediate revocation of this order and the dismissal of the frivolous petitions filed to prevent Judge Ben‑Hamo from doing his important work. The public is losing what little trust it still had in what is supposed to be the justice system.”

The interim order came just hours after Levin had signed Ben‑Hamo’s appointment, formally registering him as a civil servant, one of the strict conditions the court itself established last week.

After signing the appointment, Levin said, “This past week has again revealed how deep the problems run—instead of allowing a transparent and professional investigation, decisions are being made that sabotage it. The court not only blocked Judge Kula’s work but also set stringent criteria for appointments that are nearly impossible to meet.”

“Ben‑Hamo has extensive experience, integrity, and courage, as reflected in his willingness to take on the role. The damage to the investigation is already immense. The left knows this and is working to block his appointment. The court should stop undermining the investigation and refrain from interfering again in a necessary and appropriate appointment.”

In its ruling, the Supreme Court judges described the case as “exceptional and rare,” granting Levin the authority to choose a temporary substitute for the Attorney General. However, they set strict requirements that the appointee be an active civil servant with criminal-law expertise and free of conflicts of interest or political influence. Levin said he examined the possibility of appointing a senior civil servant but was unable to find anyone with the required background who was not tied to the Attorney General’s office or the State Attorney’s Office and was willing to assume the position.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)