Knesset Approves Separation of Police Internal Investigations Unit from State Prosecutor’s Office

The Knesset plenum approved this evening, Wednesday, in its final reading a bill by MK Moshe Saada to change the status of the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash). The law passed by a vote of 43 Knesset members to 39 against, and is expected to bring a significant change in the structure and powers of the body responsible for investigating alleged criminal offenses committed by police officers.

Under the new law, Mahash will stop operating within the State Prosecutor’s Office and become an independent body within the Ministry of Justice, with a separate budget and an independent management system. The unit will continue to be authorized to investigate police officers and prosecute them for criminal offenses, but certain powers that until now belonged to the attorney general and the prosecutor’s office will be transferred to Mahash’s management. In addition, the law establishes a new mechanism for selecting the head of the department through a dedicated search committee, along with the creation of a new position of coordinator between Mahash and other investigative and prosecutorial bodies. That coordinator will be authorized to resolve disputes and decide on transferring cases between the different bodies in certain cases.

Saada, "I promised to fix it, and I did"

During the lengthy debate in the plenum, Saada presented the law as a move intended to strengthen public trust in the law enforcement system. "Today we are carrying out a reform. I promised to fix it, and I did," he said. "What is most important in this law is restoring public trust in the justice system. This is a day of good news for the people of Israel."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the approval of the law and said it was an important step to strengthen the work of the police and the fighters. According to him, in recent years Mahash was operated in a way that harmed police officers and members of the security forces, and now a more balanced mechanism will be created.

The opposition, by contrast, sharply attacked the law and argued that it could harm the independence of the investigative body. MK Yoav Segalovitz said this was a political move intended to influence Mahash’s work and not a professional one. He said there was concern that the appointment of the head of the department in the future would be influenced by political considerations. MK Gilad Kariv also attacked the law and warned that it could harm the ability to investigate offenses by public figures and people close to the political system. According to him, the law is not intended to improve protection for citizens harmed by police conduct, but to change the balance of power between the political echelon and law enforcement bodies.