The Yashar party called on Shin Bet director David Zini on Friday to provide the public with explanations for his meeting with commentator Yaakov Bardugo, whom the party described as a non-journalist with a clear political interest. The party questioned why Zini discussed with Bardugo the possibility of opening an investigation against media outlets in Israel.
The Yashar party, a small right-wing faction, injected a new political dimension into the leak-investigation controversy on Friday afternoon by demanding that Shin Bet director David Zini publicly explain his meeting with commentator Yaakov Bardugo. The party accused Bardugo of being a “non-journalist with a clear political interest” and questioned why Zini discussed the possibility of opening an investigation against media outlets. The demand comes hours after reports that Bardugo met with Zini to personally urge a probe into Channel 12 over a leaked classified operational detail.
The story has unfolded rapidly since 15:51 Jerusalem, when an associate of Prime Minister Netanyahu first claimed to have met Zini to push for the Channel 12 investigation. Within minutes, at the same timestamp, Bardugo himself admitted he had requested the probe, and it was reported that the meeting had indeed taken place. The swift progression from an anonymous claim to the commentator’s own on-record admission effectively confirmed the core of the allegation.
As The Zioneer has reported, Bardugo has been a persistent critic of Zini over the leak affair, accusing the Shin Bet of failing to act despite orders from both the prime minister and the agency’s director. The wider controversy has drawn in figures such as Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who called on President Herzog to back Zini, and has prompted calls for investigations from civil-society groups as well as from right-wing outlets.
What remains unclear is whether Zini will respond to the Yashar party’s demand. The precise content of the meeting and whether Zini agreed to open an investigation have not been disclosed.
3 developments
- DevelopingBardugo, caught in falsehood, demands probe of Shin Bet chief Zini as well
- DevelopingBardugo: Shin Bet investigations division and legal adviser block leak probe despite Zini's order
- DevelopingYaakov Bardugo challenges Shin Bet chief David Zini on incitement and leak inaction
- StrongChannel 14 calls for probe of Shin Bet chief Zini, accusing him of fabricating investigation
Source and signal
- Internal intake