High Court rejects Vanunu's petition

Judges rule convicted spy cannot enter West Bank; say 'petitioner proved repeatedly he cannot be trusted and does not respect letter of the law'

Aviad Glickman|Published: 10.06.11 , 19:40

The High Court of Justice on Thursday rejected a petition filed by nuclear spy Mordechai Vanunu, in which he requested to cancel the injunction forbidding him from leaving Israel and entering the West Bank.

"The petitioner proved repeatedly that he cannot be trusted and that he does not respect the letter of the law," Justices Eliezer Rivlin, Elyakim Rubinstein and Hanan Metzer wrote in their decision.

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In his petition, Vanunu claimed that his rights have been infringed by the warrants, and that his life circumstances changed dramatically following his relocation from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.

The convicted spy further claimed that he has no contact with reporters or the media, and has no affiliation with political bodies, adding that his only wish is to be written out from the pages of history and open a new page in life.

The State, in its counter-claim, stated that Vanunu is still considered a real danger to the security of Israel, as he holds state secrets that have not been published, which he said in the past he would reveal as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Deputy State Prosecutor Attorney Shai Nitzan also noted that there is a real concern that alleviating the restrictions imposed on Vanunu would severely undermine state security.

In their ruling, the judges accepted the State's claim, writing that Vanunu has not changed his ways and repeatedly violated the injunctions by maintaining ties with several foreign elements.

The judges stated that had Vanunu been trustworthy, the picture may have been different, "but the court cannot be blindfolded and ignore what is happening in front of its eyes. The petitioner chose a unique path, which is negative in essence, in fighting against Israel's policies."