Deputy head of Shin Bet quits amid reports of serious clashes with new chief Zini

Key dispute between new chief and deputy was latter’s decision to inform High Court that Zini held meetings with an agency official suspected of leaking classified information

The deputy director of the Shin Bet has tendered his resignation from the security agency after some 30 years of service, the Shin Bet said on Tuesday, less than three months after the agency’s new director David Zini stepped into the role and amid reports of clashes between the two.

The agency said that the deputy, identified only by his first initial in Hebrew, Shin, had agreed with Zini when the latter entered the role in October to continue to serve as deputy “until the agency stabilizes.”

Shin had served as interim chief since June, after former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar’s term ended, and until Zini entered the role in October.

“The head of the Shin Bet expressed his great appreciation to Shin for his significant service, in a variety of roles in the field and at headquarters, and for his willingness to serve as his deputy,” the agency said.

The resignation, according to Hebrew media reports, came due to serious and frequent differences of opinion between Zini and Shin.

According to the Ynet news outlet, a key issue between the two was Shin’s decision to inform the High Court of Justice earlier this year that Zini had held meetings with a Shin Bet official suspected of leaking classified information.

The official, identified only as Aleph, is accused of passing classified details to Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli and two journalists of a Shin Bet investigation probing concerns that extremist Kahanist ideology was taking root in the police.

The capacity in which Shin allegedly informed the High Court of Zini’s meetings was not clear from the report.

Shin joined the Shin Bet in 1995, according to Ynet, and initially held intelligence roles within the Jerusalem and West Bank regions before taking on various management and field roles. He served as the chief of staff to then-Shin Bet director Yoram Cohen from 2012 to 2014.

Since early 2025, he has been involved in implementing the various lessons gleaned from the agency’s investigations into its failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught, Ynet reported.

Zini’s nomination to lead the Shin Bet was marked with controversy, and several groups petitioned the High Court against it, including three former Shin Bet chiefs who claimed he was unfit for the role.

The former agency heads had claimed his appointment was flawed due to a conflict of interest owing to the Qatargate and Bild investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close aides, as well as concerns over Zini’s conduct.

Zini, a former general, who has described himself as having “messianic” views, asked the court to reject the petitions, and accused his predecessors of seeking to “police opinions” and undermine Israel’s democracy.”

Zini was first nominated by Netanyahu as head of the agency in May, following the controversial ouster of former chief Ronen Bar.

Bar had been dismissed by cabinet vote on March 21 based on Netanyahu’s assertion that he had lost confidence in the Shin Bet chief’s ability to do the job in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught.

However, critics charged that Netanyahu was seeking to place a loyalist in the crucial position.

Government watchdog groups petitioned the High Court against the Bar’s firing, alleging that he had been dismissed due to his defiance of the prime minister on several key issues, and not for professional considerations. They also charged that Netanyahu had a conflict of interest in the replacement process because the Shin Bet was investigating his close aides in the Qatargate affair as well as instances of document leaks.

The court froze Bar’s removal as it reviewed the matter. The next day, however, Netanyahu announced he would seek to have Zini installed as the next chief of the domestic security agency.

Bar resigned in June amid the controversy and was replaced in an interim capacity by Shin.

In October, the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee approved Zini’s candidacy, and he took up the post after a full government cabinet meeting unanimously approved his appointment.