David Zini

David Zini was born in 1974 in Jerusalem

Zini was born in Jerusalem on 9 January 1974 and grew up in Ashdod. He is the eldest of ten children of Pnina and Rabbi Yosef Zini, who became a rabbi in Ashdod. He studied at Morasha Talmud Torah, Hispin Yeshiva High School, Yeshiva Shavei Hebron and the Keshet Yehuda pre-military academy.

He joined the IDF in 1992 and served in Sayeret Matkal before moving to the Golani Brigade. He later commanded the 51st Battalion, the Egoz Unit and the Alexandroni Brigade. In 2015 he set up the Oz Brigade and became its first commander.

As a brigadier general he led the Idan Formation and Malach. In 2023 he became a major general and head of the Training Command and the General Staff Corps. He was also involved in setting up a brigade for Haredi soldiers.

On 22 May 2025 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named him as the next Shin Bet chief, a move that drew legal challenges. He retired from the IDF in June 2025, and the government approved him for a 5-year term on 30 September. He is married to Naomi and has eleven children.