Israeli Police Spokesman Affirms Compliance with Supreme Court Rulings Amid Controversy

Deputy Police Spokesman Aryeh Doron clarified on Wednesday that the Israeli police are subject to and will comply with decisions made by the Supreme Court. This statement came after Doron sparked controversy during an interview on Reshet Bet radio, where he was asked whom the police would obey if there were a conflict between the government and the Supreme Court. Doron did not explicitly say the police would follow the court but responded that they obey whoever the law requires them to obey. He later described the question as a provocative attempt to create a scandal, emphasizing that the answer had already been given previously.

In a September interview with "7 Days" magazine of Yedioth Ahronoth, Police Commissioner Dany Levi had committed to always following Supreme Court orders. He explained that while policy is set by the government and ministers, implementation is carried out by the police chief and the police force, provided the policy does not contradict or violate the law.

The issue of police obedience to Supreme Court rulings arose after the government announced last Sunday that it would not comply with a court ruling concerning the Second Authority for Television and Radio. This decision was led by ministers Yariv Levin and Shlomo Karhi. Levin also called on Tuesday for disobedience to a court ruling that ordered a repeat vote for the State Comptroller in the Knesset.

Doron’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between the government and judiciary, with the police caught in the middle regarding enforcement of potentially conflicting directives.