Senior Law Enforcement Officials Criticize Shin Bet Chief Zini for Delaying Investigation

Senior law enforcement officials have launched an unusual attack on Shin Bet Director David Zini, accusing him of negligent and unprofessional conduct in an ongoing investigation. They claim Zini is deliberately delaying the process and withholding necessary materials and evidence from the police, hindering progress. The officials allege that the Shin Bet sought to investigate aides of elected officials as a means to reach Members of Knesset themselves.

According to the critics, Zini is "stretching the time" to create a narrative and is not providing the police with the evidence needed to advance the probe. They stated, "They are acting carelessly and lying. They themselves are disrupting the investigation with stubborn unprofessionalism. We could have progressed long ago if they had performed their duties and not exceeded them."

These senior officials warned that investigating elected officials, even indirectly through their aides, requires specific approvals. Without these authorizations, they contend, the police and Shin Bet risk becoming tools for the government to carry out political eliminations. The stated goal of the Shin Bet's actions, according to the law enforcement sources, is to incriminate Arab Knesset members.

Questions have also arisen regarding discrepancies between Zini's prior statements and information provided to the Election Committee. Prior to the elections, Zini praised the preparations, but following the vote, a joint statement with the Election Committee chairman and the Attorney General described the matter as an isolated incident. However, it has now emerged that the investigation involves suspicions of bribery on a massive scale, potentially affecting thousands of people and involving a state actor.

The Attorney General met with Zini to discuss the information and investigations. However, MK Ayman Odeh will not be investigated in the coming days as approval has not yet been granted. A joint Shin Bet-police team is set to convene soon to discuss the matter and will provide recommendations to the Attorney General before any decision is made on investigating Odeh. The Attorney General has permitted significant steps by the Shin Bet but requires a higher evidentiary threshold for overt investigations of Knesset members, which has not yet been presented.