National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir informed Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Danny Levi that he would not approve appointments of senior police officers until after the election, and in a letter sent to him on Sunday argued that advancing appointments at the current time could harm public trust.
In the letter, titled “Your desire to hold a round of police officer appointments about a month and a half before elections,” Ben-Gvir noted that the election is expected to take place on October 27 and that the Knesset has already entered recess. He said that during an election period, restrictions apply to government activity, including appointments in the public service.
He also claimed that about four months ago he suggested to the commissioner that a round of appointments be advanced, but Levi did not provide him with a list of candidates at the time. Ben-Gvir wrote that his position is that “there is an obligation to act with restraint and moderation, due to concerns of harming public trust,” adding that he opposes holding a round of senior police appointments at this time.
According to Ben-Gvir, “this is not, God forbid, any kind of statement against the wonderful male and female officers of the Israel Police,” but rather a public and legal issue concerning conduct during an election period.
The minister also recalled that when the current government took office, the attorney-general sent a letter to the previous minister ordering a sweeping ban on senior police appointments ahead of the incoming government. Ben-Gvir argued that a similar standard should now be applied, concluding: “I hereby inform you that as the minister responsible for the police, there will be no further appointments of senior officers in the Israel Police until after the elections.”
Later Sunday night, Ben-Gvir’s office said: “Following reports regarding recommendations for police appointments, and as the minister announced earlier today, there will be no appointments before the elections, except in exceptional cases. Approval of exceptional cases will be discussed individually by the minister, after the commissioner presents reasons. All other appointments will be discussed gladly after the elections.”
Ben-Gvir blocks Attorney-General’s candidate for police legal adviser deputy
The letter also comes amid another dispute between Ben-Gvir and the police commissioner. Sources close to the minister said that Levi, who had complained to Ben-Gvir about the number of Israel Prison Service appointments made by Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, had initially received approval to move forward with preparing recommendations for police appointments.
However, according to the minister’s associates, Levi later met on Thursday with Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, and discussions included the issue of appointing a deputy to the police legal adviser.
According to those sources, Baharav-Miara was willing to allow the appointments to proceed, but requested the appointment of a deputy to the police legal adviser and even named a candidate for the position.
At a later meeting between Ben-Gvir and Levi, when the commissioner raised the name of that candidate, the minister presented his letter and the attorney-general’s previous position regarding appointments during an election period, effectively blocking the move.
Sources close to Ben-Gvir told Maariv, “The commissioner can hold a ceremony for the commissioner’s recommended appointments, but the minister will not approve the appointments.”
Police officers threaten to petition High Court over appointments
Senior officials close to the commissioner, police officers with the rank of deputy commissioner, said Sunday evening that if Ben-Gvir does not sign off on appointments approved during a meeting held on that day at the commissioner’s office, they will not hesitate to petition the High Court of Justice.
The meeting was held with the participation of senior command staff and a representative of the National Security Ministry, Moshe Bachar from the ministry’s budget department. “This will be a disgraceful mark against the minister,” the officials said.
The officials also claimed that about NIS 500 million, transferred in March to the National Security Ministry and allocated for the Israel Police, remains “stuck” at the ministry.
“Under the commissioner’s instructions, renovations began at several police stations, but the work stopped because the budget is not being transferred to the police, even though it belongs to it. Patrol vehicles have not been purchased despite the critical need to deal with crime in general and crime in the Arab sector in particular. In the north, criminals drive Rubicons, while we are stuck with five-year-old vehicles. We did not ask for a personal vehicle, but rather patrol cars and vehicles for special units,” they said.
The officials said the commissioner does not intend to back down on the appointments issue.
“The commissioner will not give up and will not compromise regarding the appointment of officers, because this is an opportunity and this is what the police need. If the commander of the Ayalon District has announced his retirement, then it is clear that a deputy commissioner must be appointed in his place, and this is a large district. How can the police operate without a head of the Planning and Organization Division? The commissioner will also request special approval for that.”
The officials added, “One thing needs to be understood: The commissioner and the senior command staff have the authority to appoint officers up to the rank of deputy commissioner without anyone else’s approval, and the minister has the final authority to approve the appointments with his signature. These are purely professional appointments, not matters of connections or politics.”
They also said, “Only recently, more than 40 senior officers were appointed in the Israel Prison Service and the minister approved them, so how can he prevent approval of appointments in the ministry’s largest organization?”
Meanwhile, senior officials close to the commissioner pledged to the police leadership that they would not retreat from their professional positions.
“I am made of a different material. I will not fold and I will not give up on things I believe in professionally. It is possible that I made mistakes in one appointment or another, but I did not act based on any consideration that was not professional,” Levi said.
“I respect the person who appointed me, but I am not easily pressured, rather I am rough and tough. I am giving this days, not more than that, because the police belong to the public and everyone, including the minister, wants a strong police force. Despite what people are trying to portray, we have built a police force here and the data can prove it. If they want me to continue for another year, as a fourth year, an event I am not thinking about at the moment, as someone who loves and breathes policing I would be happy to continue on my path and implement the goals,” was his claim.
