Hanmal Dorfman Leaves Role to Run for Knesset with Otzma Yehudit

Hanmal Dorfman, chief of staff to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, is set to resign from his position this week to run for the Knesset on the Otzma Yehudit party list in the upcoming elections. Dorfman, considered one of Ben-Gvir's closest aides and a key figure in his office, has recently decided to enter politics after some deliberation. During his tenure, he gained significant influence within public service and the police force.

Dorfman has a controversial past, having been investigated on suspicion of attempting to influence police investigators in the Judea and Samaria district. He was also involved in a case where he opposed the confiscation of a weapon from a settler who fired at Palestinians. The investigation included extensive efforts by the Police Investigations Department (Mahash) to access Dorfman’s phone, eventually uncovering thousands of audio files implicating both Dorfman and the Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yakobi.

Initially, Dorfman avoided cooperating with the investigation, failing to appear for questioning and ignoring phone calls, which led Mahash to obtain an arrest warrant from the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court. Eventually, he appeared for questioning but, following his lawyer Ariel Atri’s advice, exercised his right to remain silent. Despite these legal challenges, Dorfman is now poised to become a significant political figure as he joins Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit list for the next Knesset elections.