Jerusalem top cop drops out of contention to lead Israel Police

Jerusalem Police Chief Yoram Halevi preemptively took himself out of the running to become national police commissioner on Sunday, and will retire from the force.

Halevi asked Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan not to consider him for the position, Hebrew-language media reported.

Erdan has been searching for a replacement for former chief Roni Alsheikh since Erdan’s nominee Moshe Edri was rejected by a vetting panel last month.

Halevi was thought to have been the preferred candidate of Benjamin Netanyahu because of his personal relationship with the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu, but had said scuttlebutt about his candidacy and personal connections were hurting him and his family.

Haaretz reported that Halevi’s decision came after he was made to understand that he would not be nominated.

The Hebrew daily quoted associates close to Halevi pointing an accusatory finger at Alsheikh, who they say orchestrated a character assassination of Halevi to make sure he would not get the job.

According to reports, Alsheikh raised questions over Halevi’s connection to the Netanyahus and tried to torpedo his nomination.

Halevi will not be leaving his post until a replacement is named, Haaretz reported.

Earlier this month, Erdan’s previous candidate for police chief, Dep. Commissioner Moshe Edri, announced that he would withdraw his candidacy after he was rejected by the vetting committee, and following new questions regarding his conduct throughout the nomination process.

The Goldberg Committee, which vets candidates for top government posts, especially in the security services, said last month that it could not recommend Edri as the next commissioner, citing a meeting he had 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’s appointment, forcing a tie-breaking decision by the committee’s chairman, retired Supreme Court justice Eliezer Goldberg.

It was the second time Erdan’s top choice for police chief has fallen through. In 2015, Erdan’s candidate Gal Hirsch, a former army general, was dropped, after some of his company’s dealings abroad were brought into question. Erdan instead nominated Roni Alsheich, who departed last week at the end of a three-year term marked by persistent tensions with the minister, who chose not to grant him a customary fourth-year extension, as well as with Netanyahu.

The move sent Erdan back to the drawing board and the public security minister began interviewing a new cadre of senior officers from the police and other agencies in search of a fresh crop of candidates.

Erdan was said to be eager to conclude the process as quickly as possible, as the Israel Police is currently led by Dep. Commissioner Motti Cohen on a 45-day temporary appointment that will expire either on January 16, or when a new police commissioner is chosen.

Before Sunday’s announcement, Halevi was said to have been a leading candidate for the post, as he had been before Edri’s nomination. As Jerusalem chief, he presided over the capital during a wave of terror attacks over the past two years. Previously, he served as chief over the Southern District and presided over the police’s operations in the region during the 2014 Gaza War.

With Halevi’s name dropped from the list, Interim Chief 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.

Two of the candidates received the Goldberg Committee’s approval two weeks ago — Halevy and Bitan — but Erdan was said to prefer neither man for the job. Sources close to the minister have not given a reason for his reluctance.