The full cabinet on Tuesday night unanimously approved the appointment of David Zini as Shin Bet chief despite controversies over the selection to head the security agency, with his five-year tenure set to begin on October 5.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the appointment, stating that the reality after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre “mandated a new Shin Bet head that comes from outside the ranks of the organization,” according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The critical thinking that characterized Maj. Gen. Zini, in his various roles, his ability to think outside the box and adapt the system to a changing reality, alongside his extensive operational and command experience in force building and deployment, led to the conclusion that he is the most suitable person to lead the Shin Bet at this time,” the PMO said.

The candidacy of Zini, a former IDF general, was approved last week by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, which rejected the argument that Netanyahu was barred from proposing a candidate to head the Shin Bet while the agency was actively investigating his advisers over their allegedly illicit ties to Qatar.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting after returning from his White House visit, Netanyahu said that he has been “very impressed with him over the years and has known him for a long time.”

“I have seen his determination, his leadership, and his ability to think outside conventional frameworks, to see things before they develop,” he said. “I believe he is the right person to lead the Shin Bet — someone who knows the system, but is not part of it. I have no doubt that he will succeed greatly, and I am sure everyone supports this. His success is vital for the security of all Israeli citizens.”

President Isaac Herzog congratulated Zini after the vote, saying that he “brings with him decades of rich and varied experience as a warrior and commander in the defense of Israel and its citizens.”

“In these tense and threatened days, when even today innocent Israelis were brutally attacked in a terrorist........

© The Times of Israel