Herzog Says Security Agencies Loyal to People Not Politicians

President Isaac Herzog issued a public statement Wednesday evening declaring that Israel's security and law enforcement agencies are not loyal to any individual or camp, but to the sovereign, the people, to Israel's legal code, and to the values of the Jewish and democratic state. Herzog said the state's institutions belong to everyone and serve everyone, and he urged statesmanship amid growing polarization ahead of the anticipated fall election. The statement came a day after Shin Bet Director David Zini said in newly leaked recordings that he had taken the job for the ability to remain loyal to the elected echelon regardless of ideology, that he has an agenda he wants to advance, and that lawyers and jurists should serve as an ancillary tool. The presidential rebuke drew opposition praise and drew silence from the coalition, and reinforced Herzog's ongoing warning of a civic state of emergency that has framed his election-year appeals to depoliticize security services and the rule of law.