New chief to lead Israeli intelligence wing Shin Bet from next month, says Netanyahu; move comes despite court ruling

Zini, currently head of the military’s Training and Doctrine Command, will take over from Ronen Bar, who announced he would leave on June 15. Bar had previously said he would step down for an “orderly handover” after the Supreme Court ruled that Netanyahu’s earlier attempt to remove him was unlawful.

Netanyahu had said in March that he no longer had confidence in Bar because of the agency’s failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But the move was blocked by the Supreme Court at the time, and last month, the court ruled the dismissal was illegal. It also said Netanyahu had a conflict of interest due to an ongoing investigation into possible financial links between some of his aides and Qatar.

Bar accepted responsibility for the agency’s shortcomings in October and had planned to leave early. However, his dismissal triggered protests, with critics accusing Netanyahu of interfering in the Shin Bet’s independence during the so-called “Qatargate” probe.

According to Reuters, the Israeli military said Zini would leave the army in the coming days. The military added that any communication between soldiers and the government must be cleared with the chief of staff, suggesting that the appointment was made without prior coordination.

Zini’s appointment has been criticised by opposition parties and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who said Netanyahu was going against legal advice and acting while having a conflict of interest. Baharav-Miara has previously disagreed with Netanyahu over several legal matters, and the government has approved a no-confidence motion against her.

The dispute over the Shin Bet leadership comes amid long-running tensions between Netanyahu’s government and parts of the security establishment, especially following the Hamas attacks last year.

Separately, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had barred Yair Golan, an opposition politician and former deputy head of the military, from serving in the reserves. Golan had earlier criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying, “a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby”.

Katz called Golan’s remarks a “blood libel” and said they could expose Israeli soldiers to arrest abroad. “I have decided to instruct the IDF not to call Yair Golan up for reserve duty anymore and to prohibit him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering IDF bases,” he said, according to Reuters.

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