Government unanimously approves David Zini as new Shin Bet chief

The cabinet unanimously approves the appointment of David Zini as Shin Bet chief, the Prime Minister’s Office announces.

Zini will begin his five-year tenure on October 5.

“The critical thinking that characterized Major General Zini in his various roles, his ability to think outside the box and adapt the system to a changing reality, alongside his extensive operational and command experience in force building and deployment, led to the conclusion that he is the most suitable person to lead the Shin Bet at this time,” says the PMO.

The candidacy of Zini, a former general, was approved last week by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which rejected the argument that Netanyahu was barred from proposing a candidate while the Shin Bet was actively investigating his advisers for ties to Qatar.

The appointment comes some three and a half months after the departure of former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whom Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu controversially fired, sparking a legal battle.

President Isaac Herzog congratulates Zini, saying that he “brings with him decades of rich and varied experience as a fighter and commander in the defense of Israel and its citizens.”

“In these tense and threatened days, when even today innocent Israelis were brutally attacked in a terrorist act, it is important for all of us to remember how vital the Shin Bet’s optimal and statesmanlike functioning is to protecting Israeli society, its security, and its values,” says Herzog in a statement.