Ben Gvir Clashes With Police Chief Over Lavish Spending Plans

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Police Commissioner Danny Levi are reportedly in a deepening dispute over hundreds of millions of shekels from the ministry's budget. In a sharp letter sent to Levi, Ben-Gvir accused the police of requesting funds for non-urgent and extravagant projects.

The letter was a response to Levi's demand for hundreds of millions of shekels, promised for procurement and construction, which Ben-Gvir had held up. Ben-Gvir criticized the planned use of the funds, expressing concern over the police's budget management. He stated that the police had already received 20.9 billion shekels and hoped the money was not mismanaged or wasted on items outside work plans, as he claimed occurred in previous years.

According to Ben-Gvir, an internal ministry review revealed planned expenditures including an 80 million shekel command bunker for the commissioner, a 7 million shekel renovation for Lahav 433 (the police's national fraud and serious crimes unit) that was not approved, and the purchase of hundreds of executive vehicles not intended for police stations. He also noted a request to replace vehicles for commanders in various units and districts, despite their vehicles being scheduled for replacement between 2027 and 2029.

Consequently, Ben-Gvir decided to re-evaluate how funds would be allocated to the police, prison service, and fire department. Instead of transferring the money directly to the police, he instructed that urgent purchases for officers be handled directly by the National Security Ministry. Ben-Gvir asserted that police officers should not suffer due to extravagant projects or the desires of certain individuals seeking media attention. He stated that if there are urgent needs for operational vehicles or facility renovations, the ministry will procure them directly for the officers to ensure proper use of funds.