
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Greta Thunberg and Madleen crew face deportation from Israel after Gaza aid boat intercepted
Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg and other activists detained on board a vessel attempting to transport aid to Gaza have been taken to a Tel Aviv airport for deportation, Israel said on Tuesday. The group departed Italy on June 1 on board the Madleen, saying they would break the Israeli siege on the enclave and deliver supplies. Israeli forces intercepted their boat in international waters on Monday and took it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Israeli authorities described their mission as a celebrity stunt on a "selfie yacht". "The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X. "Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority." The ministry added that consuls from their home countries met the activists at the airport. Organisers the Freedom Flotilla Coalition put out a statement saying the crew were being "processed and transferred into the custody of Israeli authorities". "They are expected to be moved to the Ramleh detention facility unless they agree to leave immediately, in which case they may be permitted to fly out of Tel Aviv as early as tonight," it said, calling for their immediate release. Adalah, a legal rights group representing the activists, said the boat was intercepted in international waters, where Israel has no legal jurisdiction. It said it had sent a letter to Israeli authorities demanding information on their whereabouts. "Adalah will pursue legal actions to secure the activists' safety and release," it said. Many of the crew are French. President Emmanuel Macron called for consular protection for the group and the repatriation of the French citizens. "Most of all, France calls for a ceasefire as quickly as possible and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade. This is a scandal, unacceptable, that is playing out in Gaza. What's been happening since early March is a disgrace, a disgrace," Mr Macron said. Israel has faced mounting international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the UN has warned the entire population faces famine. It imposed an aid blockade on the besieged enclave on March 2 and has only relaxed it in recent days. The Madleen yacht was carrying a small amount of humanitarian aid, including rice, baby formula and medical supplies, in a symbolic voyage in protest at the blockade. Crew members said they were unarmed civilians who posed no threat. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the aid on board would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had ordered the military on Sunday to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza, calling the mission a propaganda effort in support of Hamas. A previous yacht, Conscience, attempted the same voyage in May until it was halted by a drone strike that organisers blamed on Israel. As well as Ms Thunberg, the crew of the Madleen includes French politician Rima Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent, and other volunteers from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Turkey. Mr Katz said he instructed the military to show the activists videos from the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel carried out by Hamas. "It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organisation is they came to support and for whom they are working," he said. However, Mr Katz said that after the activists were taken to a room to view the footage, they refused to watch it. In a separate effort, hundreds of people on Monday launched a land convoy from Tunisia bound for Gaza, with which activists similarly aim to "break the siege" on the territory. Organisers said the nine-bus convoy was not bringing aid into Gaza but aimed at carrying out a "symbolic act" in support of the enclave. The "Soumoud" convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and aims to arrive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, by the end of the week. It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits. Twenty months into the Gaza war, negotiations over a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. A brief truce collapsed in March and Israel has since intensified operations to 'destroy' the Palestinian group.


Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
IAEA chief relays Iran warning against Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities
CAIRO: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said Iranians warned him that an Israel strike on the country's nuclear facilities could cause Iran to be more determined about developing a nuclear weapon, according to an interview broadcast and published on Monday. 'A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran's determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,' Grossi said in the interview, published on the Jerusalem Post website and broadcast on i24NEWS TV on Monday. Grossi, however, doubted that Israel would strike Tehran's nuclear facilities, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Iranian nuclear program "runs wide and deep," Grossi told the Jerusalem Post. "Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force." Tehran and Washington have recently engaged in Oman-mediated nuclear talks. Iran is set to hand a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal to the United States via Oman, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, in response to a U.S. offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable". Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take actions that could disrupt nuclear talks with Iran. "I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution now," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "That could change at any moment." Trump and Netanyahu are expected to speak over the phone on Monday.


The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Iran's 'undeclared' nuclear sites and Israel-backed groups in Gaza
The UN's nuclear watchdog has accused Iran of concealing three nuclear sites in the early 2000s. There's new fighting in Gaza, now between Hamas and an Israel-backed gang in the south of the strip. A Lebanese official has denied reports that Israel and the United States have agreed to end Unifil. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: Iran operated three secret nuclear sites until early 2000s, UN watchdog says Lebanon denies reports of US-Israel deal to withdraw UN peacekeepers Daily killings as Hamas and Israel-backed gang engage in battle of attrition in Gaza Who are the activists on board the aid yacht intercepted by Israel? This episode features Lemma Shehadi, Senior Communities Correspondent, UK bureau, and Jamie Prentis, Beirut Correspondent.