Netanyahu defies attorney general to appoint new Shin Bet chief
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed an army general as head of the Shin Bet internal intelligence agency despite a warning from the attorney general that it would be a conflict of interest.
The appointment comes just one day after the High Court ruled that the dismissal of former Attorney General Ronen Bar on 16 March was "unlawful".
The attorney general warned that Netanyahu was in a conflict of interest due to the Shin Bet’s role in investigating the so-called "Qatargate" scandal, an ongoing probe into allegations that Israeli officials accepted payments from Qatar to promote its interests.
Despite the legal ruling, Netanyahu pressed forward with the nomination.
"That’s the law," he declared on Wednesday.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
"The government of Israel, under my leadership, will appoint the head of the Shin Bet. It is essential to our security. We will do it."
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had formally instructed Netanyahu not to proceed with the appointment until the legal implications of the High Court's decision had been fully addressed.
Nevertheless, the prime minister acted unilaterally. Bar is expected to step down in mid-June, having submitted his resignation while his dismissal was still being challenged in the High Court.
'If Netanyahu succeeds, he will have reshaped the Shin Bet, the army and the police to serve political loyalty rather than the law'
- Ameer Makhoul, expert on Israeli affairs
Zini, a religious Zionist, lives in the Keshit settlement in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. Known for his ideological convictions, he had previously been rejected by Netanyahu for the role of military secretary, reportedly on the grounds that he was “too messianic”.
Speaking to Middle East Eye, Ameer Makhoul, a Haifa-based Palestinian expert on Israeli affairs, said the move signals a broader attempt by Netanyahu to consolidate control over Israel’s security institutions.
“If Netanyahu succeeds, he will have reshaped the Shin Bet, the army and the police to serve political loyalty rather than the law,” said Makhoul.
He added that the appointment of Zini - a figure aligned with religious Zionism - could lead to increased surveillance and repression of Palestinians across the occupied territories and within Israel, as well as heightened crackdowns on political opposition and protest movements.
'Dismantling institutional checks'
According to Makhoul, Netanyahu’s move marks a another escalation in his ongoing conflict with Israel’s judicial system.
“Netanyahu is trying to make the decision himself, through the government,” he said.
“He is deliberately confronting the Supreme Court to assert that the matter is not a legal overreach, but rather the exclusive right of the government - and specifically the prime minister - to decide who leads the Shin Bet.”
The appointment also represents a direct challenge to Baharav-Miara, with whom Netanyahu has repeatedly clashed.
“Netanyahu is attacking the attorny general, accusing her of being in a conflict of interest due to her allegedly close ties with both the current and former Shin Bet chiefs,” Makhoul said.
“What he is really trying to do is dismantle all the institutional checks that might limit his power.”
Bar's dismissal followed months of growing tension with Netanyahu.
In recent weeks, the prime minister accused the Shin Bet chief of failing to take responsibility for intelligence lapses ahead of the 7 October Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people. He also accused Bar of misleading the public regarding advance security warnings and of interfering in Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial.
Bar responded forcefully to the allegations, stating that Netanyahu's testimony was "full of inaccuracies, partial quotes and half-truths aimed at taking things out of context and changing reality."
The political and legal storm surrounding the Shin Bet leadership is expected to intensify in the coming weeks as civil society groups and legal advocates prepare to challenge the appointment in court.
middleeasteye.net