Controversial police chief nominee Peled begins interim role with limited authority
Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara says Avshalom Peled cannot make significant decisions on personnel and policy until he is formerly appointed
Deputy Commissioner Avshalom Peled took over from outgoing commissioner Kobi Shabtai on Thursday, and will serve as interim chief of the police force pending a formal appointment by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee and the government.
Peled began his career in the police as a member of the Yamam counter-terrorism unit, rising up the ladder and serving as deputy head of the Jerusalem District and head of police’s Training Department, until Shabtai and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appointed him as deputy commissioner last year.
Peled is a controversial choice for chief of police after he was investigated for bribery in 2015. The case was eventually closed, but the Department of Internal Police Investigations recommended not promoting him. He was promoted regardless.
Critics of Ben Gvir have been suspicious of Peled as he is Ben Gvir’s pick, with the minister known for his desire to assert greater control over police and his overt displeasure when Shabtai would sometimes challenge him on policy matters.
Peled is not a popular choice for commissioner within the force, and some high-ranking police officials have told media anonymously that they believe Peled will simply carry out Ben Gvir’s wishes.
According to Kan news, widespread resignations are expected if his appointment is confirmed.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s office announced on Thursday that Peled would not have the authority to make far-reaching decisions or significant personnel appointments in the force until the advisory committee and the government formally approve giving him the position.
In a legal opinion handed down to the committee last week regarding his suitability for the position, Baharav-Miara raised concerns regarding Peled’s past questionable conduct.
It could take weeks, or even months, for the committee to reach a decision, leaving the police without a proper commissioner until the matter is finalized.
Until then, any significant changes to personnel or policy Peled wants to make will have to be submitted to Baharav-Miara’s office for legal approval.
Ben Gvir has said that Peled is the “right man [for the job] at the right place at the right time.”
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 in which Peled was appointed deputy police chief last year. “During the period he served in Hebron, he performed miracles.”
Peled began his role as interim chief with a meeting with the chief of the Israel Prison Service Kobi Yaakobi on Thursday morning. Police and IPS spokespeople said it was the first official meeting between the two but did not elaborate on what they discussed.
Peled takes over from Shabtai, who ended his 33-year career on Wednesday after serving as commissioner for three-and-a-half years. A committee that investigated the 2021 Mount Meron disaster found Shabtai responsible for the incident, among other officials. The report noted that it would have recommended firing the former police chief, but that such a move would be redundant as Shabtai had already announced that he would not seek to extend his term.
His relations with Ben Gvir were sometimes rocky, with Shabtai accusing the minister of politicizing the police and interfering too much with its work.
Ben Gvir tried to fire Shabtai in May even though the former police chief had already announced that he was resigning. Ben Gvir called Shabtai in for a hearing at the time that Baharav-Miara instructed him to cancel, as he did not have the legal basis to fire Shabtai.
