Police Chief Warns National Security Minister Over Frozen Funds

Israel's Police Inspector General, Lt. Gen. Dani Levi, sent a sharp letter on Wednesday, September 9, to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, warning that the withholding of hundreds of millions of shekels is jeopardizing police operations, public services, and national security. A copy of the letter was sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Of the allocated budget, the police have so far received 117 million shekels, while an additional 333 million remain blocked by Ben-Gvir. Levi demanded the immediate release of the funds, stating the situation is unsustainable.

Levi explained that one consequence of the funding freeze will be a delay in acquiring approximately 330 operational vehicles for police stations. He argued that without these vehicles, the police's ability to respond promptly to incidents, address citizen calls, prevent terror attacks, combat crime, and maintain order will be severely limited. The funding freeze also impacts the procurement of weapons, bulletproof vests, and helmets for officers, and threatens the establishment of new units, including regional investigative departments and the National Guard. The police chief cautioned that the financial shortage will harm officers' work, efforts to combat crime in Arab society, and overall national security.

Ben-Gvir's office stated the minister is preventing perceived excessive spending and insists on ensuring funds are directly allocated to police officers and operational needs. The police, however, maintain there are no professional grounds for withholding the funds and believe the minister is holding the budget hostage to pressure Levi in a dispute over senior appointments. Amidst this conflict, the Ministry of Finance is exploring an alternative funding channel to transfer money directly to the police, bypassing the National Security Ministry, emphasizing these are state-allocated funds.

The budget dispute escalated after Ben-Gvir froze senior police appointments, specifically objecting to Levi's intention to appoint Superintendent Tamar Liberty as deputy legal advisor, whom Ben-Gvir's office called a "nominee of the Attorney General." The police confirmed Liberty's candidacy was a point of serious contention. Despite Ben-Gvir's objections, Levi proceeded with Liberty's appointment and other senior officer promotions on Sunday, though these still require ministerial approval. Levi plans to continue with further appointments next week, with some officers reportedly considering legal action if their promotions are blocked.

Separately, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon warned that strict limitations on senior police appointments are in effect during the election period, requiring police command recommendations and prior notification to the Attorney General for sensitive positions.