Government approves interim police chief as debate rages over next top cop

The government on Sunday approved the appointment of Maj. Gen. Motti Cohen as temporary police chief for 45 days, amid growing controversy over a vetting committee’s rejection of the government-backed nominee for the top position, Moshe Edri.

With current police chief Roni Alsheich slated to retire on Monday, cabinet ministers accepted Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan’s nomination of Southern District chief Cohen as interim commissioner until a permanent appointment is finalized.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri did not participate in the vote over a conflict of interest due to ongoing police investigations against them.

Meanwhile, the head of a vetting committee that disqualified Erdan’s original nominee for next police chief alleged that Edri had failed a lie-detector test taken during the vetting process — contradicting other committee members — and quickly walked back the claim.

The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, also known as the Goldberg Committee, announced on Friday that it could not recommend Maj. Gen. Moshe “Chico” Edri as the next commissioner, citing a meeting he held during the nomination process with the lawyer of a Tax Authority whistleblower who has accused Edri of harassing him.

The four-member panel voted 2-2 on Edri, forcing a tie-breaking vote by committee chairman Goldberg.

Last week, Edri underwent a lie-detector test at the request of the appointments committee due to the sensitive nature of the commissioner position, due to the fact that there were complaints against him regarding unspecified inappropriate behavior, and due to the fact that other contenders for the job had already undergone the test.

Erdan had previously said that Edri was found to be speaking the truth. But the committee chairman, retired Supreme Court judge Eliezer Goldberg, told the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday that Edri “didn’t pass the test,” adding that he was “surprised at whoever read the decision and is claiming” otherwise.

Goldberg said the decision to reject Edri stemmed both from his failure to clear the polygraph test and from his meeting with the lawyer.

However, the two committee members who voted in favor of Edri’s nomination, Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz and Moshe Terry, released a statement supporting Erdan and saying Edri had indeed passed the lie-detector test.

Goldberg later retracted his claim, saying his words had been “misunderstood.”

“Edri successfully passed the polygraph test on the questions he was asked,” he told Haaretz, adding that he had meant to say Edri hadn’t been asked during the polygraph about the meeting he held with the lawyer of one of the complainants against him.

Controversy built up earlier Sunday over the committee’s decision to reject Edri, as Education Minister Naftali Bennett as well as law enforcement sources accused Goldberg of racism.

A senior law enforcement official was quoted Saturday night by Channel 10 news as saying Goldberg had from the start been seeking a pretext to reject Edri, who is of Middle Eastern descent.

“Goldberg thought from the first moment that he’s stupid and illiterate,” the source said. “When Edri began talking he was disorganized and didn’t impress him. He thought he wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the drawer, and that’s an understatement. He may be right, but to portray him as corrupt?”

Former senior police official Uri Barlev, an associate of Edri, told Channel 10 that the committee targeted Edri “based on racism or because [Goldberg] didn’t like him.”

Bennett, who leads the Jewish Home coalition party, said Sunday morning that if the allegations against Goldberg were correct, “there is no term for this other than ethnic racism.”

Associates of Goldberg responded to the allegations, saying it was “incredible how low people can stoop.”

“He doesn’t need to counter whether he’s racist or not,” they told Hadashot TV news. “The questions on that matter are unnecessary, the answers are unnecessary, and most of all — the remarks attributed to the judge are unnecessary.”

Erdan has vowed to push ahead with the appointment despite the disqualification. It remained unclear whether it would be legally viable for Erdan to sidestep the government-appointed vetting committee. A cabinet approval of Edri despite the committee’s objections would likely lead to legal petitions and a High Court battle.

Edri’s nomination had drawn widespread praise from politicians in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Edri was a “fitting appointment” and called him a “good and experienced officer.” Edri beat out Jerusalem police chief Yoram Halevi, who was considered the front-runner for the position, and current Tel Aviv police chief David Bitan.

However, despite widespread government support for Edri, questions have surfaced over his past conduct and tenure as Jerusalem’s police chief.

Edri’s nomination also faced opposition from LGBT rights groups in Israel, which criticized his handling of the 2015 Pride Parade in Jerusalem in which ultra-Orthodox extremist Yishai Schlissel stabbed to death 16-year-old Shira Banki and wounded five others.

Current police chief Roni Alsheich is slated to retire on Monday after four years in office, after Erdan, who has often clashed with the outgoing commissioner, declined to extend his tenure by the customary additional year.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.