Zini asks court to reject petition against his appointment from ex-Shin Bet chiefs

New Shin Bet chief David Zini on Wednesday asked the High Court of Justice to reject a petition against his appointment filed by three former heads of the intelligence agency.

Former Shin Bet chiefs Nadav Argaman, Karmi Gilon and Ami Ayalon, along with several NGOS, petitioned the High Court last month against Zini’s appointment, claiming he lacked relevant experience and that he was “messianic” in his religious and political beliefs.

Zini took office in early October after the court rejected requests by the petitioners for an interim order to freeze his appointment.

After he was sworn in, the former agency heads and government watchdog groups argued that Zini’s appointment was flawed due to a conflict of interest owing to the Qatargate and Bild investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close aides, as well as concerns over Zini’s conduct.

In response to the petitions, Zini accused his predecessors of seeking to “police opinions” and undermining Israel’s democracy.

He accused the petitioners of seeking to “wrap up” their accusations “in so-called democratic righteousness,” but insisted that “anyone reading the petitions can easily see that the attempt to police opinions as sought in the petitions is what undermines the democratic and Jewish values ​​of the State of Israel.”

Zini also said that the accusation that he is “messianic” is “the same derogatory term stuck to anyone who dares to be proud of their Judaism, and to anyone whose starting point is subordination to… that same Judaism.”

Backing Zini, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara filed a position paper with the High Court calling to reject the petition, a hearing on which is scheduled for next week.

“The claims raised in the petitions were examined by the advisory committee,” that examined Zini’s appointment, Baharav-Miara said, “and its conclusions on the matter were detailed in its opinion as submitted to the government. In light of the fact that this is a senior and independent committee, chaired by a retired Supreme Court justice and including the Civil Service Commissioner as a member, and considering the broad discretion granted to it… There is no ground to intervene in its conclusion.”

She added that according to the court’s own rulings, “only in exceptional and extreme cases will the court deem it appropriate to intervene in the government’s discretion where it exercises its authority.”

“This case does not fall within those exceptional and extreme cases, not even approximately.”

Zini was first nominated by Netanyahu as head of the agency in May, following the controversial ouster of former chief Ronen Bar.

Bar had been dismissed by cabinet vote on March 21 based on Netanyahu’s assertion that he had lost confidence in the Shin Bet chief’s ability to do the job in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught.

Government watchdog groups petitioned the High Court against the Bar’s firing, alleging that he had been dismissed due to his defiance of the prime minister on several key issues, and not for professional considerations. They also charged that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest in the replacement process because the Shin Bet was investigating the his close aides in the Qatargate affair as well as instances of document leaks.

The court froze Bar’s removal as it reviewed the matter. The next day, however, Netanyahu announced he would seek to have Zini installed as the next chief of the domestic security agency.

Bar resigned in June amid the controversy, and was replaced in an interim capacity by his former deputy, known only as “Shin.”

Last month, the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee approved Zini’s candidacy, and he he took up the post after a full government cabinet meeting unanimously approved his appointment.