Israeli Police Prepare Major Promotion Round After Months of Deadlock

The senior command staff of the Israeli Police is set to convene today to discuss a significant round of promotions for officers at the deputy commissioner rank, ending a prolonged freeze in appointments. The meeting, chaired by Police Commissioner Major General Danni Levi, will take place at the National Police College in Beit Shemesh and focus on key regional command positions. Leading candidates include Deputy Commissioner Avi Versano for commander of the Asher district, Dvir Tamam for Sharon district, Avi Levi for Eyal district, and Nir Yona for Galil district. Additionally, the appointment of the police deputy legal advisor is on the agenda.

This promotion round follows months of stagnation caused by disagreements between National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Commissioner Levi, particularly over the promotion of senior officers. Despite earlier reports, the appointment of the police spokesperson chief will not be discussed in this session. Both the police command and Minister Ben-Gvir support a broad promotion cycle, which may include reassigning Deputy Commissioner Boaz Balat from his role as head of the Operations and Intelligence Division (Aham). Balat has faced criticism within the police for allegedly politicizing his position by aligning with the dismissed Attorney General and for a flawed investigation into the Police Internal Investigations Department (Patzar).

While these names are frontrunners, final decisions may change during the meeting. The current focus is on deputy commissioner-level appointments, and no official decisions regarding Balat’s position are expected at this time. The resumption of promotions marks a potential end to the months-long impasse caused by disputes over senior police appointments between the minister and the police chief.