Police Chief to Meet Legal Advisor Over Minister's Appointment Freeze

Police Commissioner Daniel Levi is scheduled to meet with the government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, to discuss National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's delay in approving police appointments. Levi intends to explain to Baharav-Miara that his planned appointments are independent of Ben-Gvir's decision, despite the minister's legal requirement to approve them. According to Channel 14, Levi plans to seek approval for the appointments through the legal advisor and potentially the Supreme Court (Bagatz) if necessary.

Earlier this week, Ben-Gvir ordered a freeze on all senior police appointments until after the upcoming elections. This decision came just before a significant reshuffling that would have affected 11 senior officers and 130 other command staff. Ben-Gvir cited the proximity of the elections as the reason, stating that making senior appointments so close to an election could be perceived as presenting the public with a fait accompli.

However, media reports suggest the immediate trigger for the dispute is Levi's intention to appoint Colonel Tamar Liberty as deputy legal advisor to the police. A source close to Ben-Gvir described Liberty as the "protégé of the government's legal advisor." The police confirmed that "serious discussions" had taken place regarding Liberty's candidacy.