AG blocks Ben Gvir’s promotion of cop indicted for throwing stun grenade at crowd
Baharav-Miara’s office tells national security minister that Suissa’s promotion illegal as it came without necessary authorization; Otzma Yehudit leader: She can take it to court
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday blocked the promotion of Israel Police Officer Meir Suissa last week to the rank of chief superintendent due to his indictment last month for throwing a stun grenade at anti-government protesters in March 2023, injuring several of them.
The promotion was bestowed last week by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who heaped praise on Suissa and condemned what he said was political pressure “to target a police officer who seems to have acted in accordance with the instructions he was given.”
Hebrew media reported that a letter was sent by the office of the attorney general to Ben Gvir informing him that without necessary clarification or a letter of recommendation from the police chief, “it is not legally possible to promote Suissa in rank, or appointment.”
Deputy Attorney-General Gil Limon, who wrote the letter, told Ben Gvir that his move to promote Suissa was seen as “severe behavior,” adding that “the severity worsens considering the fact that this is about appointments in the police whose job is to enforce the law. Therefore, breaking the law in a situation like this can severely harm public trust.”
Responding to the attorney general’s decision to block the appointment, Ben Gvir insisted that it would go ahead nevertheless, and said that if she “wants to cancel the minister’s appointment, she is welcome to go to the Supreme Court.”
“All the steps required by law and in accordance with the authority of the national security minister to appoint him were taken,” the ultranationalist minister added. “The attorney general is a recommending body, not a decision body, therefore Suissa is the chief superintendent and the commander of the Tel Aviv-South station.”
However, as Limon stated in the letter, the police commissioner has to sign off on Suissa’s promotion which could not have happened last week as Israel Police’s new commissioner, Daniel Levy, was only sworn in on Sunday in a ceremony at the National Security Ministry.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ben Gvir praised Levy’s “Zionist and Jewish agenda” and said he knew Levy would “lead the police according to the policy I have set for him.”
Avshalom Peled, who was serving as interim police chief until Levy was sworn in, was banned by Baharav-Miara from making personnel decisions while he served as interim chief.
Following Ben Gvir’s response, Limon demanded a clarification on the matter and said that until Suissa had the necessary approvals, “the officer beginning the new position or wearing the chief superintendent ranks will be against the law with all that implies,” according to Haaretz.
It is unclear exactly what position Suissa will fill in the meantime, and with the legality of his promotion in question, the situation will become unclear for the officers under his command.
Suissa was filmed throwing a stun grenade into a large crowd at an anti-judicial overhaul protest in March last year. At least five people were injured as a result, including one man who had to have his ear reattached.
Last month, Suissa and four other police officers were indicted and charged with negligence as throwing the grenade into the crowd was found to be in violation of police directives.
Regardless, Ben Gvir praised Suissa’s actions at the time and defended him last month when the indictment against him was filed.
Critics have accused Ben Gvir of effectively taking over the police and subjugating the force to his control. The far-right minister called for heavy crackdowns on anti-government protests last year and has reportedly ordered the police not to prevent extremists from attacking trucks bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza amid the war there.
Police officers have also been accused of failing to arrest settlers who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank, and of standing idly by when far-right mobs stormed army bases on July 29 following the arrest of IDF reservists accused of sodomizing a Palestinian inmate.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers last week, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned that the police were emboldening Jewish terrorism in the West Bank by failing to deal with the issue, thus endangering Israel’s security and standing with its allies.
Ben Gvir reportedly called for Bar’s dismissal after that letter was sent and stormed out of a cabinet meeting when his demand was not met.
