Police Chief Caught Between Politics and Legal Oversight as Crime Surges
Police Commissioner Danny Levi, who took office in August 2024 with strong backing from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, was expected to return operational control to commanders in the field and reduce legal intervention. Ben Gvir praised him at the time as bringing “a great breakthrough, an offensive line and a deep connection to the field.” But by mid-2026, critics inside the force say the opposite has happened: the police leadership is mired in internal power struggles and increasingly constrained by legal oversight.
A key turning point, according to critics, came in April 2025, when Levi was asked whether police would disobey High Court rulings in a constitutional crisis. He answered clearly that the police would obey the law and the court’s decisions. Detractors say that statement effectively handed control to the legal advisers rather than defending police independence, and they say his voice was barely heard in the controversy around the military advocate general.
The article says real operational power now often lies outside Levi’s office. The Investigations and Intelligence Division, led by Commissioner Boaz Blet, remains an independent center of influence and handles Israel’s most sensitive investigations. Blet’s close working relationship with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is described as well known and was publicly acknowledged by her at the division’s official ceremony.
Meanwhile, organized crime has benefited from the instability. Official figures show 295 murders in Israel in 2025, nearly double the 2020 level, and the violence has continued into the first months of 2026. Police officers say they are sent into battle “with their hands tied behind their backs,” caught between political pressure for immediate results and legal restrictions on tools such as spyware and advanced surveillance. Police responded that the commissioner has repeatedly said the force remains independent, autonomous, and bound only by law.
