Shin Bet Chief Zini Questions Previous Ban on Party Linked to Ben Ari and Marzel

Shin Bet chief David Zini and his deputy have expressed reservations about the agency's previous leadership stance, under former chief Ronen Bar, which sought to disqualify a political party associated with Michael Ben Ari and Baruch Marzel from running in the Knesset elections. This development emerged from a statement submitted by the prosecution to the Supreme Court, indicating a shift from the professional opinion held by senior Shin Bet officials at the time. Zini and his deputy are effectively calling for a reconsideration of the party's disqualification, which was originally based on concerns that the party might serve as a cover for illegal activities.

The updated statement to the court reveals that Zini requested permission from the State Attorney to reexamine the intelligence information that formed the factual basis for the original decision. The Shin Bet has since provided a new professional opinion. While the prosecution noted that the core professional assessments largely remain unchanged, the new remarks from Zini and his deputy express disagreement with the previous professional stance within the agency. Although the professional experts continue to support the ban, the current head and deputy of Shin Bet advocate for a renewed review of the matter.