Netanyahu’s Shin Bet pick proudly calls himself ‘messianic’ at IDF farewell ceremony

Maj. Gen. David Zini, who was selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lead the Shin Bet in defiance of a High Court ruling, proudly identified as “messianic” during a farewell speech that marked the end of his 33-year military career.

The term is typically used by Netanyahu’s critics to criticize his religious pro-settler coalition partners whose policies are often guided by their religious zeal. According to Hebrew media reports, Netanyahu previously denied Zini a promotion because the general struck him as “too messianic,” and Shin Bet officials have threatened to quit over the “messianic” general’s appointment.

“Recently, the term ‘messianic’ has come to the forefront of public discourse,” said Zini during the ceremony Wednesday at the IDF’s Aliqa base in the Golan Heights, according to a transcript published by the military on Friday.

“We are all messianic, like David Ben-Gurion and the founding fathers of the nation,” said Zini, referring to Israel’s first prime minister. “Messianism is not a derogatory term. It is thanks to this constant flame that we aspire to perfection in all areas of our lives.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir dismissed Zini from the military last month after it emerged that the then-commander of the IDF Training Command and General Staff Corps had held talks with Netanyahu behind Zamir’s back on the option of becoming Shin Bet chief.

Netanyahu refused to appoint Zini to become his military secretary, Haaretz reported last year, telling confidants after interviewing him that he was “too messianic.”

Zamir did not appear to have attended Zini’s farewell ceremony, which the IDF said was attended by Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai.

The High Court ruled last month that Netanyahu had to recuse himself from replacing current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar due to a conflict of interest stemming from the Shin Bet probe of his top aides in the so-called Qatargate scandal. Bar himself announced he would resign this month.

Netanyahu, who announced Zini’s appointment hours after the High Court decision, has said the new Shin Bet head would not handle the investigation of the premier’s aides.

The premier had launched the bid to oust Bar in March, citing a lack of confidence after the Shin Bet’s failure to avert the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023. The move caused public uproar, with critics accusing the premier of seeking to offload his own responsibility for the security failure.

The general, who was the IDF’s point man on Haredi recruitment, also called on his colleagues to get to know the ultra-Orthodox community, and said IDF commanders bear collective responsibility for failing to avert the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.

Speaking at the farewell ceremony on Wednesday, Zini said responsibility for the “terrible failure” rests with all military commanders.

“A failure of this magnitude is not an isolated failure, but a deep systemic failure that we all share in and all have the duty to amend,” he said.

Zini also said commanders were responsible for getting to know the ultra-Orthodox community, which has resisted the army’s efforts to draft yeshiva students.

In senior officer training, Zini said, “We traveled to learn about countries and cultures around the world — the United States, Russia, China and so on. “But we never crossed the street to Bnei Brak to study our blood-brothers in-depth,” he said, referring to a central Haredi city.

“Certainly, we have disagreements with them,” said Zini. “Still, we won’t make progress if we don’t get to know each other.”

“There are deep, significant changes there that will let us break new ground,” said Zini of the Haredi community. “But only if we come from a place of brotherly love.”

The comment on Wednesday came as Haredi parties threatened to topple the government over its failure to codify the community’s exemption from the draft, while other coalition members demanded tough sanctions against Haredi draft evaders.

Zini’s name came up in media reports several months ago as a potential successor to former IDF chief of staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Herzi Halevi, who resigned earlier this year over the military’s October 7 failures.

According to the reports, Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, had pushed for the move, despite Zini lacking the relevant experience.

Zini is married and a father of 11 children, and lives in the Golan Heights community of Keshet. He has reportedly expressed opposition to a Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal, enraging captives’ families.

His brother, Shmuel Zini, is reported to be the “right-hand man” of pro-settler American billionaire Simon Falic, who is close to Netanyahu and his family.

During the October 7 Hamas onslaught, Zini fought near Kibbutz Mefalsim, killing several Hamas terrorists. Footage from that day showed Zini and a group of soldiers near the Black Arrow memorial site on the border, surrounded by the bodies of dozens of Palestinian terrorists following an intense battle.