Amit Segal Defends Shin Bet Chief David Zini Amid Criticism Over Loyalty Remarks

Amit Segal, a political commentator for Channel 12, strongly defended Shin Bet chief David Zini following backlash over Zini's statement about his willingness to serve due to loyalty to the elected leadership. Segal accused Zini's critics of taking his words out of context and described them as "ignorant and malicious." He cited the Shin Bet law, emphasizing that the agency is subordinate to the government, not to legal advisors or constitutional arrangements. Segal argued that the controversy stems from a misconception that loyalty should be to the state rather than the specific elected prime minister, in this case, Benjamin Netanyahu. He claimed this legalistic framing was used to block Zini and Roman Gofman from their respective security appointments.

Segal clarified that Zini's comments referred to issues of war and peace, not operational decisions like detaining individuals such as Yair Golan. He criticized the elevation of civil servants to a "holy" status above elected officials, referencing former IDF Chief Aviv Kochavi's defiance toward then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as an example. Segal accused opponents of attempting to delegitimize Zini by misrepresenting his words and suggested that political rivals plan to remove Zini and Gofman if elected, aiming to impose their own loyalists on the security services. He concluded that these critics want their people to remain in power while excluding others.