Knesset Gives Final Approval to Transfer Police Investigations Division to Justice Ministry

Forty-three Knesset members supported a bill to amend the Police Ordinance, while 39 opposed it. The bill transfers responsibility for the Police Internal Investigations Department, known as Makhash, to the Justice Ministry. The Knesset plenum approved the measure overnight Wednesday to Thursday in its second and third readings.

The reform will change the status of Makhash and place it under the Justice Ministry as an independent body. Under the approved law, Makhash will be established as an autonomous unit within the ministry with a separate budget, and it will be authorized to investigate and prosecute police officers for criminal offenses, including minor offenses. A new mechanism will also be created for appointing the department head through a dedicated search committee. In addition, a post will be created for a coordinator for police investigations, who will be authorized to rule on disputes between Makhash and other investigative and prosecutorial bodies, and, where appropriate, order the transfer of cases between them.

One of the major changes in the law is the separation of Makhash from the Attorney General's system. Criminal powers currently held by the attorney general or the prosecution in cases handled by Makhash will be transferred to the department head. Appeals against decisions by Makhash to close a case will be submitted to the coordinator. However, the department will remain subject to the general guidelines of the attorney general and the state prosecutor, except where the guidelines assign authority to an external body.

The law also includes amendments related to the full civilianization of Makhash, including provisions on access for Makhash employees to police information systems.

The bill's sponsor, MK Moshe Saada, said after the law was approved: "Today we are making a reform. This is a day of good news for all the people of Israel, a day on which we are correcting the law enforcement system. There will no longer be criminals serving the law, there will be no people above the law. In the State of Israel, everyone will be equal before the law."

Saada added: "There is now no dispute that Makhash is not functioning and must undergo change. This system has deviated from its ethical path. The law will restore public trust in the justice system."

According to the explanatory notes to the bill, in recent years reports by the State Comptroller, the annual reports of the Public Defender's Office, and a report by the government team established to examine the Police Internal Investigations Department, published in February 2025, pointed to shortcomings in the systemic handling of police offenses. The majority opinion of the government team that dealt with the issue emphasized the difficulty arising from Makhash's subordination to the prosecution, and the close ties between the prosecution and the police. The team therefore recommended separating the department from the prosecution and establishing it as an independent body.

As reported by Kikar HaShabbat, Makhash recently arrested a police officer and two of his relatives, including a reserve colonel, on suspicion of a planned murder attempt. In addition, an indictment was filed against a traffic policewoman who fabricated traffic tickets without ever meeting the drivers.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir welcomed the law's approval and said: "The Makhash law is an important law that strengthens the values of the State of Israel as a democratic state, and I congratulate MK Moshe Saada on its passage. Over the past three years, the dismissed attorney general turned Makhash into a private police force intended to instill fear in police officers and fighters."

Ben Gvir added: "It is very good that Makhash will no longer be under the control of a woman without restraint, who stops at nothing to achieve her goals, deterring our police officers and fighters."