Ex-security leaders warn political attacks weaken Israel’s defenses amid ongoing war against Hamas terror.
Five former directors of the Shin Bet and 31 retired department heads have issued a sharply worded open letter criticizing current agency chief David Zini and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The signatories expressed “bewilderment” at what they described as Zini’s silence in the face of what they called unprecedented slander targeting former director Ronen Bar, along with managers, fighters, and employees who served on October 7.
According to the letter, individuals within the Prime Minister’s circle and coalition members have promoted what the former officials label as false conspiracy theories — including allegations of treason and claims of a secret October 6 meeting between Shin Bet’s southern division and Hamas’s Gaza Brigade commander.
The retired leaders demanded that Zini “respond firmly” and publicly defend agency personnel against what they see as politically driven accusations.
They further accused Netanyahu of harming the broader security establishment through his conduct, calling it “despicable and degrading behavior.”
The public intervention by such a large group of former intelligence chiefs underscores deep tensions within Israel’s security and political leadership following the October 7 Hamas attack — a trauma that continues to reverberate through the nation’s defense institutions.
