Report: Shin Bet chief ordered removal of October 7 memorial corner at Tel Aviv headquarters

Shin Bet Director David Zini ordered the dismantling of a memorial corner at the entrance to the agency’s Tel Aviv headquarters, which had been dedicated to Shin Bet personnel killed since October 7, according to a report published Wednesday in Haaretz by journalist Josh Breiner. The report said Zini argued that “there is no need to see the failure in front of our eyes every day.”

According to people around Zini, the display was described as reflecting “defeatism.” A security source told the newspaper that the order to remove the corner was received with shock at headquarters.

In response, the Shin Bet said the October 7 failure was “one of the biggest and most painful failures the State of Israel has known.” But, the agency said, in Zini’s view, showing only some of the fallen “reduces the failure and reflects only part of the terrible disaster that befell us.” The Shin Bet added that the headquarters already has a Wall of Remembrance displaying all fallen personnel, not just a small portion of them.