Ex-Shin Bet chief Diskin endorses Herzog for prime minister - 'He can't be worse than Netanyahu'

Yuval Diskin has been a fierce Netanyahu critic since leaving his post as Shin Bet director.

Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) (photo credit: FACEBOOK)
Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet)
(photo credit: FACEBOOK)
Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), announced on Friday that he is endorsing Zionist Union chief Isaac Herzog for prime minister.
Diskin, who has established himself as a fierce critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since leaving his post, published a lengthy note on his Facebook page, calling on voters to “give Herzog a chance” to form the next government.
“Netanyahu has failed in every key area, and he needs to go home,” Diskin wrote.
“Herzog can’t be any worse than Netanyahu. He can only be better. I believe Herzog will be a cautious, level-headed [leader] who will know how to rebuild Israel’s relationship with the Obama administration.”
“Why is now the time to give Herzog a chance? Because...Herzog is the best alternative there is,” he wrote.
“I’m not a supporter of the Zionist Camp, and I am not running in this election,” he said. “I am a big believer in having a large bloc of centrist and left-wing Zionist parties forming a coalition, which would then be joined by other partners that will bring unity and sanity back to Israeli society, closing socioeconomic gaps, halting racism and nationalist fulminations, restoring clean patriotism and ensuring security and international legitimacy.”
Former Mossad head Meir Dagan announced Saturday night that he would vote for Zionist Union, calling Herzog a fitting candidate for PM.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.