Ben-Gvir Clashes With Police Chief Over Appointments

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sent a letter to Police Commissioner Danny Levi on Tuesday, escalating a dispute over police appointments. Ben-Gvir asserted that the authority to appoint officers rests solely with him, not with the Police Commissioner or the Attorney General. He accused the Commissioner of misleading officers by creating the illusion that appointments were imminent, calling it a "cynical spin on the backs of police officers and their families."

The minister claimed that Levi initially canceled the appointment round due to demands from the Attorney General's office, citing the upcoming elections. However, Ben-Gvir alleged that Levi later reversed his decision after the Attorney General requested the appointment of Tamar Liberty, a former chief of staff to ex-Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, as a deputy legal advisor to the police. Ben-Gvir stated that the Attorney General then withdrew her objection and pushed for the appointment.

Ben-Gvir reiterated his previous directive that no new appointments should be made on the eve of elections, asserting that the notification of promotions given to officers was in direct violation of these orders. He declared he would not allow the police to become a "puppet on a string" of the Attorney General's office.

Despite the conflict, Ben-Gvir clarified that in exceptional cases with genuine security justifications, a reasoned request explaining why an appointment was not made earlier could be submitted.