Lapid, Israeli officials call on Netanyahu’s Shin Bet candidate to delay, renounce appointment

Israeli officials have responded to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on Thursday that Maj. Gen. David Zini will be the next head of the Shin Bet.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said in response to Zini’s appointment: “Netanyahu has a serious conflict of interest regarding the appointment of Shin Bet chief due to the Qatargate scandal in which the people closest to him received money from an Arab country that supports terrorism. I call on General Zini to announce that he cannot accept the appointment until the High Court of Justice rules on the matter.” 

National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot responded to Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Zini as Shin Bet chief, in defiance of the High Court ruling, in an open letter published on Friday.

In the letter, Eisenkot called on Zini to “be a leader and inform the prime minister that the right thing to do at this time is to wait for the attorney general’s interpretation of the High Court ruling, and then allow the selection of a more experienced candidate for wartime.”

Lack of legal process indicates Netanyahu’s ‘criminal nature,’ says Kariv

“Netanyahu once again proves his criminal nature and his determination to crush the rule of law,” Democrats MK Gilad Kariv wrote on X, calling on Zini “to announce that he will not take on the role unless this is done through the legal process required according to the instructions of the Legal Advisor to the Government.”

“I call on the Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister to announce that if Netanyahu continues his moves to crush the rule of law, there will be no choice but to declare him incapacitated,” Kariv added.

נתניהו מוכיח פעם נוספת את אופיו העברייני ואת נחישותו לרסק את שלטון החוק. נתניהו נגוע בניגוד עניינים מובהק לאור העובדה שהשב״כ חוקר כיצד לשכתו הפכה לסניף של השלטון הקטארי.אני קורא לאלוף במיל׳ דוד זיני לא לתת ידו לביזוי שלטון החוק ולהודיע שלא יקח על עצמו את התפקיד אלא אם הדבר…

— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) May 22, 2025

Zini appointed under ‘illegal process,’ says Becher

Chairman of the Israeli Bar Association Attorney Amit Becher also wrote to Zini, calling on him to give up the position, which was “appointed through an illegal process.”

“I contacted General Zini with a request that he announce that, under the circumstances, he is giving up on the proposal to appoint him as head of the Shin Bet,” Becher wrote on X.

“It is impossible for a very important gatekeeper, who is entrusted, among other things, with preserving the democratic regime and its institutions, to be appointed through an illegal process, tainted with a serious conflict of interest, and defying the institutions of the rule of law,” he wrote.

פניתי לאלוף זיני בבקשה שיודיע כי בנסיבות שנוצרו הוא מוותר על ההצעה למנותו כראש השב״כ. לא יתכן ששומר סף חשוב ביותר, שאמון בין השאר על שמירת המשטר הדמוקטי ומוסדותיו ימונה בהליך בלתי חוקי, נגוע בניגוד עניינים חמור ומתריס כנגד מוסדות שלטון החוק. pic.twitter.com/UmGG1GmZoI

— ️עמית בכר Amit Becher (@BecherAmit) May 24, 2025

Netanyahu explains Zini’s appointment

“Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this evening his decision to appoint Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet,” the statement began.”

“Maj.-Gen. Zini has served in many operational and command roles in the IDF, including: A fighter in the Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Reconnaissance Unit), commander of the 51st Battalion in the Golani Brigade, commander of the Egoz unit, commander of the Alexandroni Brigade, founder of the Commando Brigade, and commander of the Training and Doctrine Command as well as commander of the General Staff Corps,” the statement said.

“In March 2023, Zini prepared a report for the commander of the Gaza Division examining the division’s preparedness for a complex surprise event, with an emphasis on surprise raids, and identifying weaknesses,” it said.

“As part of the report’s conclusions, Zini wrote that in almost every sector it is possible to carry out a surprise raid on our forces.”

Zamir notified minutes before public announcement

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir was notified of Zini’s appointment just minutes before it was announced publicly and did not take part in the decision-making process.

The office’s announcement was made despite a High Court ruling that the dismissal of Shin Bet head Ronen Bar was unlawful due to Netanyahu’s conflict of interest in the “Qatargate” affair, and despite the opposition of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.

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