Israel's Internal Security Chief's Brother Embroiled in Smuggling Scandal
The brother of Israel's internal security chief, Bezalel Zini, has been charged with assisting the enemy during wartime over his alleged role in a cigarette smuggling network into Gaza. David Zini, the head of the Shin Bet, was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last May and took up the post in October.
Under the Israeli blockade on Gaza, cigarettes were a rare luxury for Palestinians, who often paid exorbitant prices – at one point, a single cigarette could sell for $15 (£11). It is alleged that some Israeli soldiers involved in the devastating conflict also profited from smuggling operations. A UN independent commission and human rights organizations have described these activities as a genocide.
Bezalel Zini, 50, was suspected of smuggling 14 cartons of cigarettes into Gaza on three separate trips, earning him around $120,000 (£88,700). He is accused of violating the law with his alleged actions and faces charges including "assisting the enemy in wartime," performing transactions for terrorist purposes, and taking bribes.
The justice ministry stated that a central category of goods smuggled into Gaza included tobacco and cigarettes, which have generated hundreds of millions of shekels for Hamas since the start of the war. Other prohibited items include iPhones, batteries, car parts, and other goods.
Zini's defense team claimed his client denied the charges, stating that "aiding the enemy during wartime" was a false accusation. They downplayed the severity of the alleged offenses, focusing on cigarettes as the primary item in question.
Bezalel Zini is also an Israeli army reservist but holds a position within a semi-official unit known as the Uriah Force, which reportedly brought bulldozers and other heavy equipment into Gaza during the war. An investigation found that this unit operated outside official army channels.
The indictment accuses Zini of exploiting his position to smuggle cigarettes by using the cover of moving Uriah Force equipment in and out of Gaza. The right-wing newspaper Israel Hayom criticized David Zini's silence on his brother's involvement in the affair, calling for him to reveal more information about treason allegations and conspiracy theories surrounding the case.
The brother of Israel's internal security chief, Bezalel Zini, has been charged with assisting the enemy during wartime over his alleged role in a cigarette smuggling network into Gaza. David Zini, the head of the Shin Bet, was appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last May and took up the post in October.
Under the Israeli blockade on Gaza, cigarettes were a rare luxury for Palestinians, who often paid exorbitant prices – at one point, a single cigarette could sell for $15 (£11). It is alleged that some Israeli soldiers involved in the devastating conflict also profited from smuggling operations. A UN independent commission and human rights organizations have described these activities as a genocide.
Bezalel Zini, 50, was suspected of smuggling 14 cartons of cigarettes into Gaza on three separate trips, earning him around $120,000 (£88,700). He is accused of violating the law with his alleged actions and faces charges including "assisting the enemy in wartime," performing transactions for terrorist purposes, and taking bribes.
The justice ministry stated that a central category of goods smuggled into Gaza included tobacco and cigarettes, which have generated hundreds of millions of shekels for Hamas since the start of the war. Other prohibited items include iPhones, batteries, car parts, and other goods.
Zini's defense team claimed his client denied the charges, stating that "aiding the enemy during wartime" was a false accusation. They downplayed the severity of the alleged offenses, focusing on cigarettes as the primary item in question.
Bezalel Zini is also an Israeli army reservist but holds a position within a semi-official unit known as the Uriah Force, which reportedly brought bulldozers and other heavy equipment into Gaza during the war. An investigation found that this unit operated outside official army channels.
The indictment accuses Zini of exploiting his position to smuggle cigarettes by using the cover of moving Uriah Force equipment in and out of Gaza. The right-wing newspaper Israel Hayom criticized David Zini's silence on his brother's involvement in the affair, calling for him to reveal more information about treason allegations and conspiracy theories surrounding the case.
Bezalel Zinis bro is smokin cigarettes into gaza and making a ton of cash lol no seriously tho its like 120k shekels and hes accused of violatin the law big time he even got listed under the category of goods that Hamas has been makin money from for yrs lol i mean ur supposed to be protectin gaza n stuff but instead u r helpin out da enemy 
This is wild, I mean what's going on with this guy Bezalel Zini? His own brother is involved in smuggling cigarettes into Gaza and now he's getting charged with assisting the enemy during wartime? That's just crazy! 
And to think his brother was recently appointed as Israel's internal security chief... it's like a bad joke. 
I'm not buying the defense team's explanation either, they're trying to downplay this by saying it's all about cigarettes but come on, this is serious stuff. 
The fact that his brother was able to get away with smuggling millions of dollars worth of goods into Gaza speaks volumes about corruption and power struggles in Israel. 
I just hope justice is served and this guy gets the punishment he deserves... or at least something! 
I dont get why he didnt just leave Gaza if the blockada wasnt allowing any goods in 4 months. it sounds like hed smugglin a bunch of cigs in for $120k or whatever and then hed just "forget" to tell his bro about it 
idk how these things get past the authorities tho, maybe its cuz hes got some lowkey connections 
anyway, whoever is doin this smugglin needs 2 be held accountable 
We need more info on him, stat! 
and now his brother gets charged too, that's just crazy. the fact that they were making so much money off this is wild, like hundreds of millions of shekels... meanwhile, Palestinians are struggling to get basic things like cigarettes because of an embargo. 
just think about it, Israeli internal security chief's bro is involved in smuggling cigarettes into Gaza 
and now he's charged with aiding the enemy during wartime 
interesting
also gotta wonder if david zini was just trying to cover his brother's tracks or if he actually knew what was going on 
and that newspaper izrael hayom is just hating on him for not speakin out more 
. And it's not even like they're talking about something life-or-death, you know? Just some cigarettes 
. But at the same time, I get why this stuff is so big... I mean, Gaza has been under this blockade for years, and people are literally paying exorbitant prices just to get basic things 
.
david zini's bro bezalel is in a whole lot of trouble and I just don't get it WHY IS HE ALLOWED TO DO THESE THINGS?!?! cigarettes are like, super rare for palestinians in gaza and he gets to smuggle them in AND MAKE MONEY FROM IT LIKE HE'S SOME KIND OF SUPERHERO OR SOMETHING!!! 
AND NOW HIS BROTHER IS IN CHARGE OF SECURITY AND HE GETS TO COVER FOR HIM?!?! it's just not right at all...the whole thing just stinks to me... 
. I mean, can you imagine if someone in, say, New York tried to smuggle cigarettes into Manhattan just because they were expensive? 
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The fact that the Uriah Force unit operates outside official army channels raises even more questions... how much corruption can you fit into a bureaucracy like that?