The mother of Hamas hostage Matan Angrest has sharply criticized the Israeli government, accusing it of jeopardizing hostage release negotiations. In an interview with Army Radio, Anat Angrest claimed that “just as the Hamas team may have agreed to the deal on the table, an attempt was made to eliminate them.”
Angrest further condemned the leadership, saying, “It’s obvious that the prime minister is not interested in a deal or ending the war, despite the heavy price of the lives of soldiers, the hostages who are going and wasting away there.” She described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as cold-hearted toward his own citizens and criticized the government’s failure to communicate with hostage families.
When asked why senior IDF officials have not spoken out against the war, Angrest asserted, “Everyone who has spoken in favor of a deal up until now has been dismissed and replaced – we are living under a dictatorship,” adding that “everything depends on the decisions of one man.”
Against this backdrop of public frustration, Prime Minister Netanyahu has officially requested that the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee approve the appointment of David Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency.
In a letter addressed to committee chair Asher Grunis, the former President of the Supreme Court, Netanyahu urged the committee to consider Zini’s nomination, citing “security challenges that the Shin Bet is facing and the urgent need for a permanent chief.” He proposed that the confirmation take place on September 21.
David Zini, a seasoned security official, is seen as a steady hand amid growing threats and domestic concerns. His appointment is expected to bolster the agency’s efforts to address security issues at a time when Israel faces both external dangers and internal unrest.
The committee’s decision will be closely watched as Israel grapples with public pressure, escalating security concerns, and ongoing hostage negotiations that have drawn widespread attention.
