Itamar Ben Gvir Freezes All Israel Police Appointments Until After Elections
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has frozen all senior Israel Police appointments until after the elections, blocking a major promotional round due to a dispute over Colonel Tamar Liberty's nomination.
Dispute Over Colonel Tamar Liberty's Appointment
Just one day before a major round of appointments in the Israel Police, and despite a severe shortage of senior officers, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir informed Police Commissioner Danny Levy that all promotions and appointments will be frozen until after the elections.
Sources revealed that the decision was triggered by the Commissioner's intention to appoint Colonel (Nitzav Mishneh) Tamar Liberty as the Deputy Legal Advisor to the Police. An official in Ben Gvir's office claimed:
"This is an appointment pushed directly by the Attorney General."
Sources in the minister's office added that a major political battle had developed over this position, while police officials confirmed that "significant discussions" had taken place regarding Colonel Liberty. The upcoming round of promotions was scheduled to include 11 assistant commissioners (Tat Nitzav) and 130 superintendents and chief superintendents, all of whom will now have their career advancements halted.
Minister's Directive and Police Response
In an official statement, Itamar Ben Gvir explained his decision:
"It is inappropriate to carry out senior appointments just a month and a half before the elections, as this could be perceived by the public as an opportunistic political grab. Accordingly, all appointments will be frozen until after the elections, except for urgent cases that will be examined individually."
In response, pointing to the extensive rounds of appointments recently approved by the minister in the Israel Prison Service, a senior official in the Police Commissioner's office stated:
"The Israel Police conducts placement discussions in strict accordance with standard placement and promotion procedures. The Commissioner expects the Minister to back his decisions and those of the top command, just as he does with other organizations under his ministry's responsibility."
Political Precedent
This clash echoes events from December 2022, prior to Ben Gvir taking office, when he petitioned Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to freeze all senior police appointments under the outgoing government. At the time, Ben Gvir accused then-National Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev and former Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai of attempting to establish "facts on the ground" by rushing through senior appointments just days before the new coalition took power.
