Ben Gvir Interviewed 96 Police Officers for Promotion in 2025 Amid Tensions
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir interviewed 96 senior police officers for promotion in 2025, continuing a controversial practice. The move has sparked severe tensions and clashes with the police commissioner over appointments.
In 2025, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir personally interviewed 96 police officers ranked superintendent and above who were candidates for promotion. This follows a similar trend from the previous year, when he met with 109 officers in 2024. Traditionally, previous ministers only interviewed candidates for the senior ranks of Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner.
Escalating Tensions Over Appointments
Recent weeks have seen mounting friction between the police commissioner and the minister regarding the selection of officers for command positions. Ben Gvir accuses the commissioner of deliberately stalling the promotion cycle to push through controversial appointments ahead of the upcoming elections. The dispute recently came to a head when the commissioner proceeded with a command meeting and approved several promotions despite the minister's objections.
Among the contentious appointments approved is that of Commander Tamar Liberty as Deputy Legal Advisor to the police, a move strongly opposed by Ben Gvir, who claims she is backed by the Attorney General. Consequently, Ben Gvir boycotted the police Rosh Hashanah toast ceremony, criticizing the appointments process as politically motivated.
"The minister will not allow the Attorney General to dictate suspicious appointments on the eve of elections," stated a spokesperson for Ben Gvir.
Defense of the Interview Policy
Addressing the high volume of interviews conducted with mid-ranking officers, including station and regional commanders, Ben Gvir defended his hands-on approach. He emphasized that as the minister signing off on promotions, he believes in personally verifying the suitability of candidates to ensure they align with his policy priorities of governance, sovereignty, and professionalism.
