AG said to chide Ben Gvir for interfering in police affairs after he agreed he’d stay out of them

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara chided National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in recent days for what she characterized as his illicit interference in police decision making, flouting a legally binding agreement he made with the AG, Haaretz reports.

The agreement — which obliges Ben Gvir to scale back his involvement in operational police matters — was struck with the top legal official in April as he sought to defend himself against legal petitions demanding his dismissal. Critics of the minister claim he exploits police promotions to advance a far-right political agenda.

According to the report, Baharav-Miara contacted Ben Gvir’s office over his remarks surrounding the investigation of a Palestinian who spat on a female IDF soldier last month.

After police detained the suspect, Ben Gvir touted his arrest on social media and tweeted a photo of the man with the caption: “Zero tolerance toward those who harm IDF soldiers.”

Israel Prison Authority chief Kobi Yaakobi later ordered the suspect be transferred from a criminal detention center to a security prison, prompting praise from Ben Gvir.

“Anyone who spits on a soldier is a terrorist. Prison Authority Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi did a good thing by transferring the spitting terrorist from a criminal prison to a security prison,” the ultranationalist minister wrote. The suspect has since been released under restrictive conditions after an indictment was filed against him.

Unlike criminal detainees, security prisoners are held for committing a broad range of what Israel classifies as nationally motivated crimes ranging from gruesome terror attacks to publishing incendiary content. The vast majority of them are Palestinian.

Per Baharav-Miara, Ben Gvir’s praise for Yaakobi constituted illicit interference in law enforcement’s investigations policy, Haaretz reports.

A spokesman for Ben Gvir denies he received any comment from the attorney general and threatened to sue the outlet.

The Justice Ministry says it “does not comment on conversations with ministers.”