Police Officer Accuses Attorney General’s Team of Trying to Shape High Court Filing

A sharp dispute erupted over the police response to a High Court petition about the “incitement unit,” the police department created by Commissioner Danny Levi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The unit has been at the center of a months-long legal and internal police battle, with opponents seeking to shut it down over what they say is the failure of an incitement team within the intelligence division to function effectively.

Channel 14 reported that representatives for Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara tried to influence the police wording so it would match her position in favor of closing the unit. In recorded exchanges, attorney Shosh Shmueli, who handles High Court matters, urged Lt. Cmdr. Audi Ronen not to contradict the attorney general in filings opposing the unit.

Ronen responded forcefully, saying, “You are willing to lie to the High Court, that is a problem. You will not lie in my name.” He accused Shmueli, Gil Limon and Sharon Afek of having an inherent conflict of interest because, in his words, they are leading efforts to close his unit. He also said the court is relying on “false” letters from Limon and Afek and that the police commissioner froze the unit based on those alleged lies.

Shmueli said she did not know the full factual picture and later added that she was obligated to present the court with the updated situation. Ronen replied that they should present “everything,” not only what suits them, and insisted that Baharav-Miara’s position cannot justify filing inaccurate material. The attorney general’s office declined to comment.