A damning audio leak has surfaced revealing open incitement by David Zini, the newly appointed head of Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet (Shabak). The report, aired Sunday evening by Israel’s Channel 12, includes inflammatory anti-Muslim remarks made by Zini during a closed meeting with settlers living near the Gaza border.
In the recording, Zini stated:
“We constantly have intelligence alerts about evil Muslims wanting to kill good Jews—from the time of Ishmael until further notice.”
This racist and religiously charged rhetoric comes amid Zini’s discussion of the October 7, 2023 Hamas operation and Israel’s ensuing genocidal war on Gaza, which has so far resulted in the killing of over 53,200 Palestinians and the injury of 122,797 others.
Zini went on to say that efforts to quickly return all Israeli captives were hindering what he called the “second achievement”—a reference to the goal of eliminating the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
“The war on Gaza has not yet achieved its objectives,” he added. “And if anyone promises you there are no threats—take them to a lie detector.”
Zini also admitted Israel’s military weakness, acknowledging the Zionist entity’s inability to secure its borders or fully protect its citizens:
“Even if you mobilise all the reserve forces and deploy them along every border—it still won’t be enough.”
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to appoint Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, replacing current chief Ronen Bar. The decision came despite legal objections from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who stated that Netanyahu lacks the legal authority to finalise the appointment before completing a proper legal review.
Baharav-Miara warned of a serious conflict of interest, describing the appointment process as “flawed and irregular.”
The controversial move triggered public protests, sparked outrage among political figures, and even prompted calls for civil disobedience and legal appeals to block the decision.
On March 20, the Israeli government announced the dismissal of current Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, set to take effect on April 10, 2025. However, the Israeli Supreme Court suspended the move after opposition parties filed petitions to halt the decision.
Netanyahu claimed the firing was due to a “loss of confidence”, a fallout from the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched coordinated attacks on 11 military bases and 22 illegal settlements bordering Gaza. The operation was described by Hamas as a retaliation for the Zionist regime’s daily crimes against the Palestinian people and Islamic holy sites—especially Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Bar hinted that the dismissal was politically motivated, stating that Netanyahu demanded “personal loyalty”—a demand he refused. On April 28, Bar announced his intention to step down on June 15, 2025.
