From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Ex-police commanders: Ben Gvir seeking to ‘taint’ probe into shooting of Palestinian
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
A group of former police chiefs and senior officers sends a letter to Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar expressing concern that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is seeking to “taint” the investigation of two settlers over the killing of a Palestinian in the West Bank.
In the letter, the retired officers note Ben Gvir’s praise of the arrested shooter, saying he should be awarded a “medal of honor.” The second suspect held in the case is a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
“The remarks by the minister in charge of police are an effort to interfere in a criminal investigation, distort its direction and taint it,” they write.
They also assert that Ben Gvir reached out to the police commander in the West Bank in an effort to sway the investigators.
The Times of Israel Community.