Senior Police Official Disputes Shin Bet Chief's Terror Infrastructure Claims in Negev
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
A senior police official publicly questioned Shin Bet chief David Zini's claims of military-style terror units forming in the Negev's Bedouin population. The official stated that local Shin Bet and police officials are unaware of the intelligence cited by Zini. Zini had reportedly informed the cabinet of "worrying" infrastructure and unit formations with ties to Hamas. The article also notes ongoing crime issues in the south and arms smuggling into Israel.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A senior police official disputes Shin Bet chief David Zini's claims of terror infrastructure in the Negev.
- The police official stated that local Shin Bet and police personnel are unaware of the intelligence cited by Zini.
- Shin Bet chief Zini warned the cabinet of "worrying" military-style units in the Bedouin population.
- Zini suggested these units have ties to Hamas due to intermarriage and other factors.
- The article references ongoing crime and arms smuggling issues in southern Israel.
A senior police official sharply criticized Shin Bet chief David Zini on Wednesday, challenging his claims to the cabinet about alleged terror infrastructure and military-style organizations forming in the Bedouin diaspora in the Negev. "It's unclear where the Shin Bet chief got this information," the official told Ynet. He stated that Shin Bet coordinators working with the Southern District, as well as Shin Bet personnel in constant contact with the district, have no knowledge of the basis for these claims. The Southern District itself is also reportedly baffled by the information's origin.
The police official emphasized that if the Shin Bet possesses intelligence on the establishment of military units or infrastructure in the Negev, such serious information should first be transferred to the Israel Police and the Southern District for appropriate action. "You can't just throw such a statement into the air, create panic, and have no one on the ground who is supposed to deal with the phenomenon aware of the information it's based on," he added.
During a cabinet meeting on Monday discussing threats from Gaza and Judea and Samaria, Shin Bet chief Zini reportedly expressed concern about military-like infrastructures and attempts to establish units within the Bedouin population in the Negev, describing it as a "very worrying phenomenon." He noted that these infrastructures, which the Shin Bet continuously thwarts, are located a short drive from cities like Beersheba and Dimona. Zini also indicated a "worrying connection" between these groups and terror organizations such as Hamas, partly due to marriages with women from Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
The article also references an ongoing trial in Beersheba against Sabach Haniyeh, sister of a eliminated terror leader, who is accused of sending him praise after the October 7th massacre. It further mentions National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's 2022 campaign promise to restore governance in the south, despite ongoing crime and murder records, though the police claim a recent slowdown. The report also touches on new methods of arms smuggling into Israel, including via drones from the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, with thousands of such incidents involving heavy weaponry like Mags and M-16 rifles.
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