Ben Gvir Blocks Police Appointments and Accuses Attorney General of Backroom Deal
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blocked all police promotions, accusing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara of offering a backroom deal to the Police Commissioner. The police chief's office strongly denied the allegations.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has sent a detailed letter outlining what his associates describe as a "political trick" orchestrated by the Police Commissioner and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
According to Minister Ben Gvir, the Police Commissioner recently reversed his position and requested to advance a series of high-level appointments. This request came despite prior clarifications from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara that legal precedents strictly limit such appointments close to an election period.
Allegations of a Backroom Deal
Minister Ben Gvir claims that last Thursday evening, the Attorney General initiated a conversation with the Police Commissioner. During this discussion, she allegedly promised that if he promoted officer Tamar Liberty to the position of Deputy Legal Advisor to the Police, she would legally defend his other proposed appointments despite the upcoming elections.
Ben Gvir noted that he learned of this conversation by chance and expressed regret that the Commissioner did not report the matter to him directly. The Minister further claimed that immediately following that discussion, the Commissioner abruptly demanded to push the appointments forward without any logical explanation or operational necessity.
Ministerial Veto and Police Response
Citing previous rulings and guidelines issued by the Attorney General herself, Ben Gvir announced that he would not approve any appointments to preserve public trust in the police force. In a direct instruction to the Commissioner, the Minister wrote:
"You must immediately halt any promotional rounds you are seeking to conduct."
Sources close to the Police Commissioner expressed surprise and strongly denied the allegations, stating that the Commissioner and the Attorney General have not met or spoken in over two weeks. The Commissioner's associates emphasized that he has repeatedly stated his commitment to keeping the police out of political disputes to safeguard public trust as a cornerstone of democracy.
