Israeli PM names new security chief in defiance of attorney general
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his pick for the next head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency, defying the country's attorney general's legal guidance. "Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this evening his decision to appoint Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet," a statement from his office said. The decision is the latest development in a long-running controversy surrounding the role, which has seen mass protests against the incumbent chief's dismissal, as well as against moves pushed by Mr Netanyahu's government to expand elected officials' power to appoint judges. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled the government's decision to fire current domestic security chief Ronen Bar was "improper and unlawful". Mr Netanyahu's move to tap Zini to replace Bar directly defied Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who had said that, given the court ruling, the PM "must refrain from any action related to the appointment of a new head of the Shin Bet". Following Thursday's announcement, the attorney general released a statement saying that the PM was acting "contrary to legal guidance". "There is serious concern that he acted while in a conflict of interest, and the appointment process is flawed," the statement said. Mr Zini, 51, the son of immigrants from France and the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, has held "many" operational and command positions in the Israeli military, Thursday's announcement said, including for some elite units and combat brigades. The announcement comes after more than two months of political and legal wrangling over who should head the powerful agency. Mr Bar announced last month that he'd step down in mid-June amid the fight over Netanyahu's effort to dismiss him. On Thursday night, several large protests in Tel Aviv calling for the end of the war in Gaza and the release of hostages spontaneously shifted to demonstrations against Mr Zini's appointment.
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