Israeli Police Chief Cancels Agreement with Minister Ben Gvir on Senior Appointments

Last week, Israel Police Commissioner reversed near-final agreements with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir regarding a series of senior police appointments. The announcement was first reported by Moshe Steinmetz on i24NEWS. Following the Knesset's dissolution on Thursday, the appointment cycle is expected to be delayed for at least six months until after the elections, leaving several key police leadership positions without permanent appointees.

Among the affected roles, the Deputy Commissioner and the Head of the Planning Department are expected to retire within two months, while the Head of Human Resources, Commissioner Alona Shoshan, is currently not serving due to an ongoing investigation against her. Additionally, the position of Head of the Spokesperson’s Unit remains vacant. Prior agreements included appointing Commissioner Yechiel Bohadana as Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent Merav Wagner as Head of Planning, and Superintendent Mirit Mizrahi to replace Shoshan in Human Resources.

However, the Police Commissioner withdrew from these agreements, halting the appointment process. This decision is anticipated to impact lower-rank appointments dependent on the senior leadership changes. Police officers have expressed criticism of the Commissioner's handling of the situation, with some stating he "feared making a decision," causing organizational stagnation. Unless the agreements are renewed during the election period, the appointments will likely be postponed until the next government is formed.