Occupied Jerusalem – At a time when Israel is witnessing one of the most turbulent security and political periods as the war continues on GazaThe Public Security Agency finds (The Shin Bet) He himself is at the heart of an unprecedented crisis that threatens his internal image and institutional independence.
A new journalist has unveiled a series of successive crises that rocked the device, starting from shocking internal leaks and controversial records, to the appointment of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -Required For the International Criminal Court On charges of war crimes in Gaza- Major General David ZainiComing from outside the system, as head of the device as a successor Lyronine BarIn a move that caused widespread concern within its ranks.
In light of this anxiety, unusual testimonies of active elements in the apparatus revealed a deterioration in the morale, and a sense of anxiety about the attempts of “politicization” of the apparatus by the political leadership, led by Netanyahu.
Dimensions of the crisis
Israeli analyzes and readings reviewed the dimensions of the crisis that ravaged the Shabak, and the challenges facing it between its heavy security responsibilities and the increasing political pressures, at an accurate time that imposes on the security establishment to preserve its professional cohesion and its full neutrality.
In an expanded investigation published by the website of the newspaper “Yediot Aharonot”, he revealed the depth of the crisis that ravaged the Shabak, amid charges of political interventions and attempts to tighten its control from Netanyahu.
The investigation was based on rare testimonies from members of the Shin Bet, who usually avoid media appearances, but they went out of their silence in light of what they described as a “series of media storms” that shook the stability of the agency, and their recognition that it “received a painful blow.”
Among the challenges faced by the agency is to disclose registered leaks for the head of the Jewish department in which he heard in calling for the arrest of the suspects of Jews for terrorism without evidence, and in February he announced the suspension of his work until the end of the open investigation in his case, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
The crisis escalated when the Israeli government decided last March to dismiss the chief of the Shin Bet, Ronin Bar, a file that reached the corridors of the Israeli Supreme Court, which stabbed the decision and recommended to continue his duties until the end of his mandate.
On the other hand, Bar presented to the court a statement made in the department and announced last April his decision to officially end his duties on June 15.
The investigation unit with the police officers at the Ministry of Judicial had opened an investigation last April with a backup component of the Shin Bet, who had been arrested on suspicion Likud And for a group of journalists, according to the website “Wi -Net”.
According to the investigations, his detention was linked after the publication of the journalist Senit Siggal from Israeli Channel 12 on March 23 last documents that reveal the Shin Bet investigation of the suspicion of the infiltration of individuals from the “cursed” organizations associated with the rabbi Mair Kahna In law enforcement devices, state institutions and Israeli police.
Illegal appointment
The internal crisis in the Shin Bet last May, when Netanyahu announced the appointment of Zeni as the head of the agency, where he is expected to receive his duties in mid -June.
This appointment came without coordination with the government’s judicial advisor Ghali Bahraf MayaraWho opposed the dismissal of Bar, and confirmed that the appointment of Zeni is illegal, noting that there are conflicts of defective interests and procedures in the decision -making process.
And approved supreme court With the illegality of the decision to dismiss the chief of the Shin Bet, as the judicial advisor stressed that Netanyahu must refrain from any procedure related to the appointment of a new president of the agency until the formulation of legal instructions that guarantee the integrity of the procedures.
However, the government returned and canceled the decision to dismiss Bar after announcing the resignation in the middle of this month, while Netanyahu was quick to announce the appointment of Major General Zaini as head of the Shabak.
These crises have sparked together, and if their nature differed, a great internal and external controversy, and opened the door for discussion within the device regarding the path in which it is currently going with the appointment of Zeni, which sparked wide internal reservations.
The Israeli security establishment sees in this appointment a step bearing a conflict of interests of Netanyahu, especially since the Chief of Staff was involved Eyal Zamir Or the Minister of Defense Israel Katz.
And in this way, a deep concern within the device prevails that the appointment of Zeni leads to internal disturbances and frictions of the driving rows, and that it affects the cohesion and stability of the device, especially in light of the complex security conditions that Israel is going through.
Undering and subjugating
Political analyst Akifa Eddar believes that bar investigations in leaks that affected the Netanyahu office put him in a direct confrontation with the prime minister and his allies, especially the minister. Etamar bin GhafirIn a struggle that goes beyond the administrative dimension to reflect a profound dispute over the identity of the state and the limits of government powers.
He explained to Al -Jazeera Net that the attempts to dismiss the chief of the Shin Bet, such as the dismissal of the former Minister of Defense Yoaf Gallant What is required for war crimes in the Gaza Strip, which reflects a frequent pattern of Netanyahu, is to undermine each center of institutional power that is not fully subject to its will. However, the case of Bar and Chancellor Bahrav Mayra carries a deeper dimension, as it directly affects the judicial files faced by Netanyahu.
Edar stressed that the growing concern within the security and legal institutions stems from the increase in public political intervention in the work of the Shin Bet and the Public Prosecution, as government ministers are interfering in sensitive professional issues, and they demand dismissals and summonses, which threatens to politicize the state agencies and turn them into tools belonging to the executive authority.
He pointed out that Netanyahu, along with his ministers, such as Yarif Levin andSmotrichThey constitute a front that seeks a fundamental change in the structure of the Israeli political system. Despite their different motives, they agree on the goal of undermining the independence of the judiciary, security and the media in favor of an absolute executive authority that adheres to the joints of the state.
Warnings and threats
The former general, intelligence and anti -terrorist expert, Barack bin Tsur, had warned against the appointment of Zeni as head of the Shabak at this sensitive time, describing the move as a “serious professional danger.”
In a report published by the newspaper “Yediot Aharonot”, he stressed that the Shin Bet needs expert leadership in the face of multiple internal threats, such as Iranian espionage and complex international security cooperation.
He criticized the method of appointing Zini, which took place through an internal conversation without involving military officials, and considered this a blow to the agency’s confidence and administration, warning of a “organizational shock” that may negatively affect the Shin Bet performance in a sensitive time.
He stressed that the Shin Bet is going through an accurate stage that suffers from an internal confidence crisis and unprecedented political intervention, and that the future of its stability is linked to the upcoming political decisions that will determine the course of this security apparatus.