IDF General Proposes New Police Force to Handle Civil Law Enforcement in West Bank

Yoram Halevi, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, proposed months ago a plan to redistribute responsibilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli police in the West Bank. The initiative, recently presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz, aims to transfer civil law enforcement duties from the IDF to a newly established dedicated police force. Halevi, a former senior police commander with extensive experience in both the police and military, argues that the IDF lacks a professional advantage in civilian enforcement tasks, which require specific training and authority that the police possess.

According to Halevi's document, the IDF is primarily trained for combat and counterterrorism, not for managing civilian disturbances or law enforcement. The current arrangement places a heavy burden on the IDF’s regular and reserve forces, diverting resources from core security missions. The proposed solution is to create a new police unit under the Israeli police, staffed and funded specifically for operations in the West Bank, capable of handling public order, preventing nationalist crime, and managing civilian incidents.

The plan envisions the IDF focusing on counterterrorism, combat readiness, border security, and protecting settlements, while the new police force would take full responsibility for maintaining public order and law enforcement in civilian areas. This division of labor is intended to reduce the operational load on the IDF, allowing it to concentrate on security threats without compromising law enforcement effectiveness. The transition would be gradual and coordinated to build an effective police presence in friction zones.

Halevi’s proposal does not diminish the IDF’s security role but seeks to optimize each organization’s strengths to enhance both security and law enforcement in the West Bank. The initiative reflects growing challenges in the region and the need for a revised operational concept to maintain stability and order.