A premature announcement? Katz's statement was not coordinated with the IDF and Ben Gvir
The Minister of Defense declared that he had ordered the transfer of enforcement powers from the IDF to the Judea and Samaria Police, and the demand did indeed come from military officials. However, in practice, orderly staff work is required, and there are also legal challenges. In Judea and Samaria, they welcomed the move in any case: "Complete the process - and cancel the Oslo Accords."
The IDF claims that the directive of Minister of Defense Israel Katz to transfer enforcement powers to the Judea and Samaria Police was not coordinated with them. However, it has come to the attention of "La-yom" that the army has been raising the request to higher echelons in recent weeks in light of the increase in friction incidents with the "hilltop youth" in Judea and Samaria in general, and in Qusra in particular, in recent days.
This burdens the soldiers beyond their other security tasks. Because of this, it was decided to bring in the Border Police (Magav) to handle violent incidents from start to finish, and to free up IDF forces for security missions. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories was tasked with preparing the "passing of the baton." The findings will be transferred to the Chief of Staff next week and will then be presented to Israel Katz.
It should be noted that Israel Katz did not coordinate the move with the minister in charge of the police, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir.
In recent days, when military officials asked police officers to arrive at incidents, it was gently hinted to them that it is not in the directive to send police officers to nationalist crime incidents.
As long as there is no annexation, the Central Command General is the sovereign in the territory according to all law. The IDF can use the police, but the army is the sovereign.
Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, responded to Israel Katz's announcement:
"I welcome the Minister of Defense Israel Katz's important and necessary decision to transfer responsibility for law enforcement on civil matters in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria to the Israel Police. It is time that civil life in Binyamin, Judea and Samaria be conducted like anywhere else in the State of Israel: the police are responsible for law and order, and the IDF is focused on its central mission, security and defeating terror."
"This is another step on the way to correcting a reality that has been going on for decades. Now the move must be completed, the Oslo Accords must be canceled, and full Israeli sovereignty must be applied in Binyamin, Judea and Samaria. It is time to move from temporary management to the full application of Israeli law."
