Ben Gvir names Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled as next Israel Police chief
Internal investigations said to have probed candidate for breach of trust in 2015, advised he not be promoted; coalition sources say announcement aimed to ‘grab headlines’
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday selected Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled as Israel’s next police commissioner, replacing outgoing commissioner Kobi Shabtai, whose tenure will end on July 17.
The choice is set to face scrutiny, due to Ben Gvir’s history with Peled and a reported criminal probe involving the officer. The appointment must also receive approval from the coalition’s National Unity party, which entered the government upon the outbreak of war under the condition that it vet all appointments of senior officials connected to the security situation.
Peled has served in the police force for 40 years, starting in the Border Police during his mandatory IDF service, Ben Gvir said in a statement released by his office. He has served as Shabtai’s deputy since April 2023.
“Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled is the right man to lead the Israel Police,” Ben Gvir said. “Peled is an officer with rich experience. He is professional and sharp.”
Ben Gvir thanked Shabtai — with whom he has had several public disagreements — for his years of work leading the police force.
The appointment will need to be approved by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, the panel that vets the appointments to some of the country’s key civil service positions.
Ben Gvir and Peled first were acquainted when the officer was Hebron district police chief from 2007 to 2009 and the lawmaker was a prominent far-right agitator active in the area.
“He taught me how to love the police, to appreciate the police,” Ben Gvir said during the ceremony appointing Peled deputy police chief last year. “During the period he served in Hebron, he performed miracles.”
An unnamed senior police officer told Haaretz in December that Peled would likely serve as “Ben Gvir’s puppet.” According to the source, Peled had met with the minister’s chief of staff, Chanamel Dorfman, who presented him with a list of demands that were not specified in the report.
Peled reportedly told Dorfman: “Your wish is my command.”
Sources in the coalition told Haaretz on Monday that Ben Gvir’s announcement was mainly geared “to grab headlines,” as opposed to making a realistic choice, particularly after the Department of Internal Police Investigations recommended in 2015 not to promote Peled to the rank of superintendent.
The recommendation was given after the department had probed Peled for breach of trust and abuse of official power, Haaretz reported in June, as part of a criminal probe against Yehuda Regional Council head Moshe Dadon.
Through a wiretap, Peled was recorded asking Dadon to legalize illegal construction on the council’s territory, while Dadon asked Peled for help in placing an acquaintance in the senior ranks of the police.
Peled received a disciplinary note in 2016 and was promoted by then-police chief Roni Alsheich in 2017, while the criminal case against him was closed, the report said.
Additionally, officials from the coalition’s National Unity party told the Walla news site Monday that they expect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stand by the agreements that require National Unity to sign off on senior security appointments.
“Ben Gvir only just announced his candidate and the way to finalize the appointment has a long way to go. We will study the candidate. We will not give an opinion on him through live broadcast,” the officials said.
