Erdan delays appointment of new police chief until after elections

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced Friday that he was extending the term of interim Police Commissioner Motti Cohen by four months, until after the national elections in April.

In a statement, Erdan said that in the run-up to the elections, the appointment process would “suffer from uncertainty in both the legal and public aspects.”

Erdan said the public could perceive the appointment to be politically motivated, and that it was legally questionable if he could finish the process during an election period.

“Even though there are suitable candidates for the position, it’s the appropriate decision to make in light of the early elections,” Erdan said in the statement.

The statement said Cohen’s mandate will be extended until after the April 9 vote and the formation of a new government.

Erdan appointed Cohen interim police chief in early December after his candidate for the post, Moshe Edri, withdrew his candidacy amid a public scandal over his conduct.

Cohen was only given the post for a 45-day period as the government sought to bring forward a new candidate. But the Knesset’s dissolution on December 24 stymied those plans, as nominations for senior posts are legally questionable during an election period.

The High Court of Justice has ruled in the past against appointments during an election campaign period, though it has left the door open for “exceptional cases.”

According to reports in Hebrew-language media, police officials have warned against keeping an interim chief for an extended amount of time because of certain key elements of the job, including appointing officers or securing long-term procurement.

After the vetting panel disqualified Edri in late November, Erdan held another round of interviews with senior officers from the police and other agencies in search of a fresh crop of candidates for the commissioner position.

Cohen is said to be a top candidate for the job, along with Tel Aviv Police Chief Dep. Commissioner David Bitan, Judea and Samaria District Dep. Commissioner Moshe Barkat, and Northern District Dep. Commissioner Alon Asor. In addition, Erdan is said to be considering high-ranking security officials outside of the police.

If Cohen is himself eventually appointed as the permanent police commissioner, he will follow in the footsteps of his brother, David Cohen, who was also given an interim appointment as Israel’s top cop in 2007 while the search for a replacement was underway, then won that race and served as the nation’s 16th police chief from 2007 to 2011.