Israeli Defense Minister Orders Police to Take Over Civilian Law Enforcement in West Bank

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed preparations for transferring responsibility for civilian and settler affairs in the West Bank to the Israeli police. This decision follows a proposal by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Yoram Halevi, who suggested creating a dedicated police force to enforce law and order in the West Bank. Halevi initially presented a plan months ago to the IDF Chief of Staff to redistribute responsibilities between the Israel Defense Forces and the police, and recently updated the proposal amid rising friction incidents in the region.

Halevi, a former commander of the Border Police and Jerusalem district, emphasized that many tasks in the area require skills and authorities outside the military's core competencies, which the IDF units lack a relative advantage in performing. The proposed specialized police unit would be trained specifically for West Bank operations and would receive the necessary personnel and budget allocations. This move aims to reduce the operational burden on both regular and reserve IDF forces, allowing them to focus more on combat, counterterrorism, emergency readiness, and border and settlement defense.

Importantly, the proposal does not diminish the IDF's overall responsibility in the West Bank but seeks to optimize each organization's strengths to enhance security and law enforcement effectiveness in the area.