Netanyahu appoints David Zini as incoming Shin Bet director
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Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara notified Netanyahu on Wednesday that he is barred from appointing a new Shin Bet director, pending a legal review.
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Maj. Gen. David Zini, head of Training Command and General Staff Corps, attends a handover ceremony at the IOF Central Command headquarters in al-Quds on July 8, 2024. (Israeli media)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next director of the Shin Bet, in a move that follows months of controversy surrounding the agency's current leadership.
Zini, a career military officer with a history in elite Israeli combat units, currently heads the Israeli military's Training Command and General Staff Corps. He has also played a key role in efforts to enforce ultra-Orthodox conscription into the Israeli military. Netanyahu described him as someone who "has also been responsible for advancing the draft of Haredi soldiers to the military."
"Zini currently serves as the head of the [Israeli Occupation Force] Training Command and General Staff Corps. He has also been responsible for advancing the draft of Haredi soldiers to the military," Netanyahu said in his official announcement.
But the announcement has been swiftly challenged. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara notified Netanyahu on Wednesday that he is barred from appointing a new Shin Bet director, pending a legal review. This follows a ruling by the High Court that Netanyahu's cabinet acted "improperly" in its previous attempt to oust the current Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, a decision the court linked to Netanyahu's conflict of interest, as the Shin Bet is reportedly investigating close associates of the prime minister.
Security consolidation
The court's findings have fueled Israeli public concern that Netanyahu is seeking to reshape the Shin Bet for political ends, particularly at a time when the agency plays a critical role in maintaining "Israel's" internal control over Palestinians across the occupied territories.
Bar, who will step down on June 15, had been at odds with Netanyahu over allegations of attempted political meddling in the agency's operations. His resignation under pressure has raised alarm within Israeli legal and security circles.
Read more: Israeli Shin Bet chief accuses Netanyahu of seeking personal loyalty
Zini, if confirmed, would be the first outsider in nearly three decades to lead the Shin Bet. For many observers, this symbolizes not a shake-up but a consolidation of power aimed at further silencing dissent and reinforcing state control mechanisms, particularly those that target Palestinians under occupation and surveillance.
