High Court approves government-AG compromise over appointment of new Shin Bet chief

The High Court of Justice on Sunday approved an agreement between the government and the attorney general that will pave the way for the appointment of Maj. Gen. David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet.

Under the agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will inform the head of the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee in two months’ time of his pick to head the domestic security agency, which will review the candidate’s suitability for the job.

The two-month period, according to Hebrew media outlets, is designed to give the Shin Bet time to complete its part in the criminal investigations in the Qatargate and leaked documents scandals, both of which involve Netanyahu’s close aides.

The attorney general will also draw up a conflict of interest agreement for the new Shin Bet chief regarding his participation in those two investigations.

The current acting head of the Shin Bet, known as “Shin,” will serve until the next head of the security agency takes office.

The agreement brings to an end an extremely fraught legal and constitutional saga, following the government’s decision to fire former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in March.

The High Court ruled in May that Netanyahu had acted unlawfully in recommending to the cabinet that Bar be fired, stating that the Shin Bet investigations into the prime minister’s close aides in the Qatargate scandal meant he had a conflict of interest in the decision and should not have been involved.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara then issued instructions forbidding Netanyahu from involvement in appointing the next Shin Bet chief.

A majority of a different panel of judges, earlier this month, appeared to side with petitioners against the attorney general, leading to the compromise.

The debate over the Shin Bet appointments 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 have contended that the attorney general and the court were overstepping and trying to replace the elected government and its authority.

Zini, a father of 11, had until recently served as head of the IDF Training Command and General Staff Corps. He has also been responsible for advancing the drafting of Haredi soldiers to the military. He was dismissed from the army after going behind IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir’s back to discuss the Shin Bet appointment with Netanyahu.