Shin Bet in limbo as Netanyahu names interim head amid legal disputes
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The Israeli premier names Shin Bet deputy as interim chief as legal objections delay David Zini’s official appointment.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in al-Quds, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has named the current deputy head of Shin Bet, known as "S", as the temporary leader of the agency until David Zini's appointment as its head is finalized, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
An official in Netanyahu's office justified the move as an "attempt to avoid a vacuum," explaining that Zini's appointment process could take several weeks and stating that "Netanyahu tasked the Shin Bet deputy chief with filling the gap for a month, or until David Zini's appointment is finalized."
According to the Prime Minister's Office, "S" was appointed as a temporary leader for 30 days to finalize the process of installing Zini as the Shin Bet's permanent director, even though Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has maintained that Netanyahu's choice of Zini was legally impermissible given his compromised position.
Israeli AG greenlights appointment
The Israeli Attorney General, known for previously blocking several of the prime minister’s decisions concerning Shin Bet, greenlit the interim appointment despite the candidate’s conflicts of interest, justifying it as a "security necessity", Israeli media reported.
“The attorney general believes that under the circumstances, and especially in light of the essential consideration of preventing harm to state security, the position can be assigned to the proposed candidate, as requested, for a period of one month,” the Israeli Attorney General's office announced, according to The Times of Israel.
The Israeli High Court recently ruled that Netanyahu faced a conflict of interest in dismissing outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, given the agency’s involvement in criminal probes targeting the prime minister’s closest aides.
Following this decision, the attorney general informed Netanyahu that he was prohibited from personally selecting a new Shin Bet chief and must delegate that authority to another cabinet minister, a step the prime minister has yet to take.
