AG slams Ben Gvir for ‘illegal interference’ in probe of police officer, orders him to stop

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara orders National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to cease his involvement in the questioning of a police officer who shot a Palestinian teen, warning that his actions constitute “illegal interference.”

The letter from Baharav-Miara comes after the far-right minister showed up outside the offices of the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) to lend his support to a Border Police officer who was set to be questioned over the death of a 13-year-old boy during clashes in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem last night.

Baharav-Miara tells Ben Gvir that “criminal investigations, including those of police officers, are conducted with complete independence of the investigating authorities, including the DIPI.”

“Any intervention by you, directly or indirectly, violates the law, seriously harms the rule of law and constitutes a politicization of the law enforcement systems and a prohibited influence on them. This should be stopped immediately,” she says.

She also notes that her letter does not in any way constitute taking a position on the investigation, and only relates to Ben Gvir’s conduct.

The Justice Ministry also condemns Ben Gvir, saying his actions had the potential to “harm the independence of the law enforcement system.”

“The DIPI will continue to operate independently and will not be swayed by attempts to influence its work.”