Maj.-Gen. Zini approved as new Shin Bet Director, ending months-long controversy

The Israeli government approved the appointment of Maj.-Gen. David Zini, as Director of the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet (ISA), in a unanimous vote on Tuesday.

The vote ended a months-long dispute over the nomination of the next intelligence head, which began when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, triggering protests by the opposition as well as a flurry of court petitions.

Netanyahu congratulated Zini, telling him he is “fully confident that he is the right person to lead the organization,” and noting that “the post-October 7 reality requires a new ISA Director who comes from outside the ranks of the agency.”

At the time of his nomination, Zini was still actively serving in the IDF, before being dismissed by IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Maj.-Gen. Zini served in various roles and commands in the IDF, after starting his career as a fighter in the elite General Staff Reconnaissance Unit.

He went on to be a battalion commander in the Golani Brigade, commander of the Egoz Unit, commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, Central Command Operations Officer. He also established the Commando Brigade, was commander of the national land training center, head of the General Staff training command and established the Hasmonean Brigade.

“The critical thinking that has characterized Maj.-Gen. Zini in his various positions, the ability to think outside the box, to adapt the system to a changing reality, alongside his considerable and operational experience in force building and in its operation, have led to the conclusion that he is the most suitable person to lead the ISA at this time,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

President Isaac Herzog congratulated Zini, emphasizing that he “brings with him decades of rich and varied experience as a warrior 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… functioning is to protecting Israeli society, its security, and its values,” Herzog stated.

Despite ending the legal dispute around his nomination, Zini’s approval immediately triggered a new controversy.

The far-left head of the Democrats Party and himself a former general, Yair Golan, vowed to dismiss Zini as soon as he became part of a new government.

“We will examine every appointee of this government, and if they deviate from the democratic path—we will replace them. We will appoint people who will serve the kingdom and not the king,” he wrote on 𝕏.

In an interview with Army Radio, Golan reiterated his point, explicitly pointing to Zini and claiming that “the only quality that makes him the one chosen for the position by the prime minister is the belief that he will grant him exemption from investigations in the Qatar affair.”

Naftali Bennett, who is widely expected to run in the coming elections, defended Zini: “In the corrective government that will be formed, every official will be measured by his actions for the good of the state, not by the prejudices of politicians or the media.”

He added that Zini’s appointment process “was flawed, by no fault of Zini’s,” but stressed that “from the moment Maj. Gen. David Zini is lawfully appointed; he is the head of the Shin Bet of the State of Israel. I wish him success in this national and vital role.”

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz wished Zini success, noting, “his success is in the interest of every Israeli. The Shin Bet is a state organization entrusted with the mission of protecting human lives and Israeli democracy.”

Zini’s approval was enabled by a ruling from the advisory committee for senior appointments last week.

The committee concluded that Zini, along with other parties who provided testimony, refuted the statements claiming disobedience to the rule of law and said there was no disqualifying conflict of interest in his appointment.