Knesset Approves Bill to Separate Police Investigations Department from the State Prosecutor’s Office

Coalition clash: Rothman removes Moshe Saada from debate on Saada’s Police Investigations Department bill / Knesset Channel

The Knesset plenum approved overnight Thursday, in its second and third readings, the bill submitted by MK Moshe Saada, which seeks to remove the Police Investigations Department, known by its Hebrew acronym Mahash, from the structure of the State Prosecutor’s Office and turn it into an independent body within the Justice Ministry. Forty-three lawmakers supported the bill, while 39 opposed it.

The bill, which sparked controversy between the coalition and the opposition and among legal system officials, seeks to fundamentally change Mahash’s status and powers. According to the proposal, Mahash would become an independent body within the Justice Ministry, with a separate budget, and would be authorized to investigate and prosecute police officers for criminal offenses, including minor offenses. In addition, the department would also handle offenses attributed to Israel Police volunteers.

The proposal also seeks to establish a new mechanism for appointing the department head through a dedicated search committee, and to create a role of “supervisor for coordination on police investigations.” The supervisor would be authorized to decide disputes between Mahash and other investigative and prosecutorial bodies, and in some cases even order the transfer of cases between the different bodies.

The bill also includes separating Mahash from the Attorney General’s legal advisory system. Under this framework, the department’s prosecutors would be authorized by the department head, and the criminal powers currently held by the attorney general or the prosecution in cases handled by Mahash would be transferred to the department head.

Mahash offices, November 30, 2025 / Flash90, Yonatan Sindel

In addition, it is proposed that appeals against Mahash decisions to close a case be submitted to the coordination supervisor rather than to the bodies currently handling them. However, according to the proposal, the department would continue to be subject to the general directives of the attorney general and the state attorney, except in cases where the directives grant authority to a body outside the department.

The law also includes sections concerning the full civilianization of Mahash and regulating its employees’ access to police information systems, alongside transitional provisions and preparations for implementing the proposed changes. It is also stated in the proposal that the justice minister and the minister for national security will be required to submit periodic reports to the Knesset on the scope of complaints against police officers, how they are handled, and the outcomes of the proceedings taken.

The bill’s sponsor, MK Moshe Saada, said: “Today we are carrying out a reform. This is a day of good news for all the people of Israel, in which we are correcting the law enforcement system. There will be no more criminals in the service of the law, there will be no more people above the law. In the State of Israel, everyone will be equal before the law. There is no dispute today that Mahash is not functioning and must undergo change. This system has strayed from its moral path. The law will restore public trust in the justice system.”