Netanyahu Names New Shin Bet Chief, Prompting Backlash
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday appointed Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next director of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, defying a warning from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and drawing immediate backlash. The announcement came just one day after Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu’s earlier dismissal of current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was unlawful due to a conflict of interest.
Zini, a veteran of elite Israeli military units and current head of the military’s Training Command, is set to replace Bar, who is stepping down on June 15. Bar had previously called for an official inquiry into Israeli intelligence failures ahead of the October 7 Hamas-led attack, a position that reportedly soured his relationship with Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s cabinet fired Bar in March. Critics allege Bar’s removal was politically motivated, tied to ongoing investigations involving Netanyahu’s inner circle.
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Baharav-Miara had instructed Netanyahu to delay any new appointment while the implications of the court ruling were assessed. “The prime minister acted in violation of legal guidance, raising serious concerns that he did so while in a state of conflict of interest,” she said in a statement.
Opposition figures and legal watchdogs condemned the appointment, with the Movement for Quality Government calling it “unprecedented contempt for the High Court’s rulings.” Opposition Leader Yair Lapid urged Zini to reject the position until the court weighs in.
Reports also suggest the Israeli military was blindsided by the appointment. The military’s chief of staff was not consulted in advance, and some sources noted past hesitation by Netanyahu over appointing Zini, calling him “too messianic.”
