IDF General Proposes New Security Division Between Army and Police in West Bank

Major General Yoram Halevi, a former police commissioner who led the Jerusalem district and Border Police, has proposed a new division of responsibilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Police in the West Bank. He initially presented this plan to the IDF Chief of Staff several months ago and recently updated it in light of increased friction incidents in the region. The revised proposal was submitted to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Halevi's plan calls for establishing a dedicated police force trained specifically for operations in the West Bank, which would assume full responsibility for law enforcement and public order there. This force would receive the necessary personnel and budget allocations. The rationale is that many tasks in the area require skills and authorities outside the military's core competencies, where the IDF does not hold a relative advantage.

The initiative aims to reduce the operational burden on both the IDF's regular and reserve forces, allowing the military to concentrate more on combat, counterterrorism, emergency preparedness, and protecting borders and settlements. Officials reviewing Halevi's proposal emphasize that it does not diminish the IDF's overall responsibility in the West Bank but seeks to enable each organization to focus on its professional strengths, thereby enhancing both security and law enforcement effectiveness in the area.