Netanyahu submits proposal of Zini as next Shin Bet chief to Senior Appt.'s Advisory C'tee

In his letter, Netanyahu asked that matters be rushed so that Zini could take the appointment already on September 21, when the acting Shin Bet director 'S' finishes his tenure.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested his appointment to head the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) - IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) David Zini - to be rushed so that he could step into the role on September 21, in a letter addressed to the Senior Appointment Advisory Committee, headed by former Supreme Court president Asher Grunis, on Thursday.

This is the next step in a long process to secure the controversial appointment. The committee will review Zini and issue a recommendation to the government. If it disapproves, the appointment could be brought before the High Court of Justice. If they veto the appointment for fear of its impact on the “Qatargate” investigations, acting director ‘S’ may remain in the role for an indefinite period of time.

Since former intelligence chief Ronen Bar resigned in June, ‘S’ has been serving as acting director. His mandate is due to end on September 21. In his letter, Netanyahu asked that matters be rushed so that Zini could take the appointment that day.

The committee is a specialized one, responsible for ratifying seven senior appointments - five security-related (IDF Chief of Staff, Mossad head, Shin Bet head, Israel Police Commissioner, and Israel Prison Service chief), and two economic-related (Bank of Israel governor and his or her deputy).

It is made up of four members: A retired High Court judge, the Civil Service Commissioner, and two public representatives chosen by the government. The committee, as of now, is not fully filled.

Two months ago, the High Court of Justice approved a compromise between the government and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, whereby the incoming chief would be barred from involvement in the “Qatargate” investigations until a conflict-of-interest arrangement could be reached.

The Shin Bet began investigating alleged Qatari influences on figures close to Netanyahu and the Prime Minister's Office in November 2024. The cases concerned are “Qatargate” and the “Leaked Documents Affair.”

Before Bar resigned, he was dismissed by the government, a decision that was brought before the High Court of Justice, and a compromise was reached. The larger context is the question of responsibility for the October 7 massacre-attack.

Bar said he would resign, in a nod to responsibility over Oct. 7 massacre

Bar has said that he would resign solely in a nod to that responsibility, but the push to remove him from the position started in earnest in November 2024, he said, when the agency began investigating Qatari influences on figures close to the prime minister. Netanyahu argued differently, that the distrust between them made a work relationship impossible, and dates back to October 7 itself.

Netanyahu wrote in the letter that after interviewing several viable candidates, he chose to go with someone outside of the organization, who would theoretically challenge accepted norms - like the ones that led to the intelligence failure surrounding October 7.

The A-G advised that, due to the suspicions, Netanyahu not be the one to appoint the next intelligence head. He went ahead with Zini's appointment anyway, leading to petitions to the High Court of Justice, which is what led to the compromise with Baharav-Miara.

Bini Aschkenasy, Yonah Jeremy Bob, and Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.