Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Maj. Gen. David Zini as the new head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency, defying Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s instruction to halt the process due to a conflict of interest. The AG had stated that Netanyahu must wait for legal safeguards to be finalized before making the appointment, especially following the Supreme Court’s finding that Netanyahu was conflicted in dismissing former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar due to investigations linked to the Qatargate affair.

Despite the freeze, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported the move, framing it as a reassertion of democratic authority.

The Supreme Court recently ruled Netanyahu acted unlawfully in dismissing Bar, citing his alleged involvement in the Qatargate scandal, in which aides to the prime minister were accused of accepting payments to influence media coverage in favor of Qatar.

Attorney General Baharav-Miara had ordered a pause in any Shin Bet appointments until new legal protocols were established. Netanyahu, however, denounced the legal constraints as an attack on governance amid an ongoing war with Hamas, stating, “They are waging war against a government that’s fighting Hamas.”

The decision sparked immediate backlash. Hundreds gathered in Tel Aviv to protest, with the civil group “Free in Our Land” accusing Netanyahu of operating “like a dictator.” The group warned the appointment could plunge Israel into a constitutional crisis.

Activists called for a nationwide strike, accusing the government of ignoring the rule of law.