Despite Court's Position: Levin to Continue Process of Selecting New Head of MAHASH

Justice Minister Yariv Levin is expected to inform the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) that he will continue the process of selecting a new head of MAHASH, despite Israel entering the pre-election period when the government must refrain from important appointments. Levin argues that the MAHASH law was passed in June 2026, before the election date was announced. The new law removes MAHASH from the State Attorney's Office and makes it a separate unit within the Ministry of Justice, subordinate to the minister.

Ynet has learned of a new twist in the legal battle over the implementation of the MAHASH law between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Levin is expected to inform the High Court of Justice (Bagatz) that he will continue the process of selecting a new head of MAHASH, despite Israel having entered the pre-election period, during which the government is legally required to refrain from significant decisions and appointments unless they are urgent. Levin's main argument: the new MAHASH law was passed in June 2026, before the official announcement of the Knesset election date, and therefore the requirement to refrain from high-level appointments allegedly does not apply to this case. MAHASH (מח"ש) is the department for investigating criminal offenses committed by police officers. Traditionally, MAHASH was part of the State Attorney's Office within the Ministry of Justice. The new law, passed by the Netanyahu coalition, removes MAHASH from the State Attorney's Office and makes it a separate unit within the Ministry of Justice, directly subordinate to the minister.