Acting top cop alleges ‘ulterior motives’ in delay in tapping full-time chief

Outgoing Acting Israel Police Commissioner Motti Cohen announces that he will quit the organization following the nomination of Yaakov Shabtai as permanent police chief, and accuses decision-makers of “ulterior motives” in the failure to appoint his replacement until now.

Cohen, who has served in his interim position for two years during an extended political crisis, makes the announcement in a letter sent to fellow officers and commanders.

He also writes that he has lately faced “attempts to intervene in the work of the Israel Police, intervention that has no place in the organization and which I didn’t allow.”

“It is an open secret that it was possible on several occasions during the past two years to appoint a full-time commissioner,” he charges. “It seems like the decision to not appoint a full-time commission for such a long time was not free of ulterior motives.”

Acting Chief of Police Motti Cohen speaks at the annual Justice conference in Airport City, outside Tel Aviv on September 3, 2019. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)