Police Commissioner Warns Budget Delays Harm National Security

Israel's Police Commissioner, Yaakov Shabtai, sent a sharp letter to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday, warning that delays in transferring budgets designated for the police are immediately harming the force's operational capabilities, its service to citizens, and the nation's security. Shabtai stated that the situation, where police budgets are being held up by Ben-Gvir's ministry, cannot continue, especially with the well-being of Israeli citizens and police officers at stake.

He reminded the minister that the police budget framework for 2026, agreed upon by the ministry and the Treasury, includes NIS 450 million that was temporarily placed in the ministry's budget regulations pending approval of the police's detailed plans. Shabtai emphasized that withholding these funds would impair the police's ability to respond to incidents and calls, thwart terror and crime, enforce law and order, and prevent road accidents.

The commissioner concluded that the budget delay constitutes a broad blow to citizen services, the officers themselves, and results in a loss of public funds. He reiterated the urgency of releasing the necessary budgets for the police, and by extension, for the State of Israel, citing the damage to national security and the police's capacity to fulfill its missions.