This morning (Friday), the Minister of Internal Security, Amar Bar-Lev, published the names of the members of the government investigation committee for the incident of the escape of security prisoners from Gilboa Prison, and for the Prison Service's preparations to prevent prisoners from escaping from detention facilities.
The committee will be headed by Dr. Maj. Gen. (Res.) Menachem Finkelstein - a retired judge who served as Vice President of the Central District Court. .
The other members of the committee will be Prof. Efrat Shoham - who served as a member of the Dorner Committee for the Examination of Punishment Policy in Israel, has been investigating the Prison Service for many years, and is a member of the leading team investigating the correctional programs in the prison.
She investigated, among other things, riots and hunger strikes in prison.
Served for about a decade as chair of the Israeli Criminology Association and serves as head of the Department of Criminology at Ashkelon Academic College.
Eric Barbing - known as "Harris".
Former head of the General Security Service, where he served 27 years in operational roles in thwarting Palestinian terrorism.
In his senior positions in the service, he served as head of the cyber division, head of the Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria division.
As part of his duties, he had a significant interface with the Prison Service and other parties regarding the prevention of terrorist activities within the prison walls.
The composition of the committee is needed for the approval of the government, which is expected to vote on the issue after Sukkot.
It should be noted that the committee will carry out its work in parallel with the police investigation, and anything criminal that comes up in it will be transferred to the attention of the ombudsman.
As you may recall, about two weeks ago, the Minister announced his decision to establish a government commission of inquiry to examine all the circumstances and events that led to the escape of the six security prisoners from the Gilboa prison on the night of Monday, September 6.