Police Commissioner Proceeds With Appointments Despite Minister's Freeze

Police Commissioner Danny Levi has announced a new round of senior officer appointments, despite National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's freeze on such decisions. The commissioner stated that the appointments are awaiting the minister's signature, even amid a significant shortage of senior officers within the Israel Police.

This move comes two weeks after Ben-Gvir initially halted all police appointments. The latest list includes appointments such as Sub-Commissioner Kfir Solomon as commander of senior officer training, Sub-Commissioner Meir Hakmon as commander of Ben Gurion Airport area, and Sub-Commissioner Rotem Vasker as commander of the Dan area in Tel Aviv.

Ben-Gvir had previously instructed the commissioner not to proceed with appointments until after the upcoming elections, citing concerns that such moves could be perceived by the public as a political maneuver. He stated that all appointments would be frozen except for urgent cases to be reviewed individually.

Sources indicate that a key point of contention was the commissioner's intention to appoint Sub-Commissioner Tamar Liberty as deputy legal advisor to the police, a move reportedly opposed by Ben-Gvir's office, which claimed it was the initiative of the state attorney. Numerous positions, including area commanders, station commanders, and heads of specialized units, remain unfilled due to the ongoing dispute.

Earlier this month, Ben-Gvir froze a larger round of appointments that would have seen 11 deputy commissioners and 130 lower-ranking officers receive new roles. The minister's office had argued that making senior appointments about six weeks before elections was inappropriate and could be seen as a political 'heist'.