Shin Bet chief David Zini this week rejected conspiracy theories alleging “internal betrayal” during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, saying it was “clear there was no betrayal” or cooperation with the enemy by members of the security services.
Speaking at the agency’s annual leadership conference on Tuesday, Zini said he accepts the findings of the internal investigation into the Oct. 7 massacre published under his predecessor, Ronen Bar.
“I accept the service’s investigation into the Simchat Torah massacre,” Zini told senior officials, using the Hebrew name for the Jewish holiday on which the attack occurred. Addressing conspiracy claims, he said it is “clear and known that there was no ‘betrayal’ or ‘cooperation’ by the Shin Bet or any members of the security establishment.”
“Unfortunately, we failed in a grave professional failure, and we must work every day, every hour to correct and internalize all the lessons and complete what remains to be investigated,” Zini said. “As the head of the investigative team noted, there are still issues to examine, but there is no dispute over the team’s conclusions, and there is much material there for work and correction.”
The internal probe, released during Bar’s tenure, assigned responsibility to the political echelon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded at the time by saying Bar had “failed completely” and that the investigation “did not answer a single question.”
The conference was attended by Netanyahu, Zini, the outgoing deputy director identified as “S.,” the incoming deputy identified as “N.,” and members of the agency’s senior command.
Zini outlined the Shin Bet’s challenges for 2026 across multiple fronts, including confronting threats in the West Bank, preventing unrest within Israel, thwarting weapons smuggling across the borders, countering Iranian efforts to recruit Israeli citizens and protecting Israeli officials and diplomatic missions abroad.
At a separate event during the conference, Zini bid farewell to his outgoing deputy.