Overview

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Major General David Zini as the next head of the Shin Bet, disregarding a Supreme Court ruling and attorney general's guidance.
• The Supreme Court had previously ruled the dismissal of current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar as unlawful, and the attorney general advised against appointing a successor.
• Opposition groups and NGOs have condemned the appointment, with new legal petitions expected to challenge the decision in court.
• Ronen Bar, the incumbent Shin Bet chief, has stated he will step down in June, paving the way for Zini's controversial takeover.
• The dispute highlights broader tensions over executive authority, judicial oversight, and allegations of politicized security agency actions in Israel's democracy.