Defying AG’s order, Netanyahu selects IDF general as next Shin Bet chief
Netanyahu taps Maj. Gen. David Zini to head domestic security agency, day after being told he couldn’t make appointment due to High Court ruling that he has a conflict of interest
Directly defying an order from the attorney general, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday evening that he was appointing IDF Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next Shin Bet chief.
The announcement came a day after the High Court of Justice issued a ruling that Netanyahu’s firing of outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was made “improperly” and “unlawfully,” and that he had a conflict of interest.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara then informed Netanyahu on Wednesday that he was barred from appointing a new Shin Bet chief while she worked out the implications of the ruling.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday evening that he was appointing Zini, who “has served in many IDF operational positions and commands.”
Zini, a father of 11, currently serves as head of the IDF Training Command and General Staff Corps. He has also been responsible for advancing the draft of Haredi soldiers to the military.
The statement from the Prime Minister’s Office noted that in March 2023, Zini wrote a report for the then-commander of the Gaza Division “to examine how the division is prepared for a complex surprise event, with an emphasis on a surprise raid, and to identify weaknesses.”
Netanyahu’s office stressed that Zini’s conclusions noted that “in almost any sector, a surprise raid on our forces could be carried out,” a clear reference to the premier’s belief that the Shin Bet failed to predict or prepare for the Hamas October 7 attack.
Current Shin Bet head Ronen Bar has said he will step down on June 15 after Netanyahu moved to fire him from the role in a bitter dispute that ended up in the High Court.
On March 16, Netanyahu announced that he intended to fire Bar, and the Shin Bet chief was dismissed by cabinet vote on March 21 based on Netanyahu’s assertion that he had lost confidence in Bar’s ability to do the job in the wake of the October 7 onslaught.
Government watchdog groups petitioned the High Court against the decision however, alleging that Bar was dismissed due to his defiance of the prime minister on several key issues, not for professional considerations, and that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest due to the Qatargate and leaked document investigations the Shin Bet was conducting into his close aides.
The case aroused huge public controversy, with opponents of the government claiming Netanyahu was trying to suppress the investigations into his advisers, while the coalition and its supporters contended that the attorney general and the court were trying to replace the elected government and its authority.
Netanyahu was defiant in the wake of the High Court ruling on Wednesday, arguing that the prime minister and the government are empowered to hire and fire the Shin Bet chief under the law.
“That’s the law,” he said. “The government of Israel, under my leadership, will appoint the head of the Shin Bet. It is essential to our security. We will do it.”
Baharav-Miara responded to the appointment of Zini Thursday evening by lambasting Netanyahu for acting “in contravention of legal instructions.” The attorney general said that there is “heavy concern that he acted while having a conflict of interest, and that the appointments process is flawed.”
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, meanwhile, welcomed Netanyahu’s decision to defy the attorney general, describing it as a “courageous, necessary, and crucial decision,” which he said “finally restores proper democratic order.”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel said, however, that Netanyahu’s announcement is “brazen and defiant,” and accused him of showing contempt for the High Court of Justice and the attorney general.
“This is unprecedented contempt for the High Court’s rulings and the attorney general’s instructions, and the continuation of the dangerous trend of harming the rule of law for the sake of narrow, personal interests,” said the organization.
The Movement for Quality Government, which was one of the primary petitioners against the government’s decision to fire Bar, vowed to submit a new petition to the High Court in the coming days “against this invalid appointment.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid urged Zini not to accept the position, saying the process was tainted by a conflict of interest.
Lapid called on the nominee “to announce that he cannot accept his appointment until the Supreme Court rules on the matter,” adding that “Netanyahu has a serious conflict of interest in the matter of appointing a Shin Bet chief due to the Qatargate scandal in which the people closest to him received money from an Arab country that supports terrorism.”
Meanwhile, the IDF was reportedly surprised by Netanyahu’s announcement of Zini for the role.
According to reports from Army Radio and the Kan public broadcaster, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was not consulted before the appointment was made, and was notified of the move just minutes before the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on the matter.
Zini was reportedly being considered to head the Northern Command before being poached by Netanyahu for the Shin Bet.
According to a report in Haaretz, Netanyahu once refused to appoint Zini as his military secretary, telling confidants after interviewing him that he was “too messianic.” The Ynet news site reported that Sara Netanyahu once pushed her husband to make Zini the IDF chief of staff.
In late March, Netanyahu announced that Eli Sharvit would be the next Shin Bet chief, but then rescinded the appointment just a day later, when Sharvit’s support for protests against the judicial overhaul and public criticism of US President Donald Trump came to light, prompting harsh criticism from the Likud party and other coalition members.
The Times of Israel Community.