Gantz to back appointment of new police commissioner

Defense Minister Benny Gantz says he’ll back Border Police commander Yaakov (Kobi) Shabtai’s appointment as Israel’s first full-time police commissioner in over two years.

Gantz says he informed Prime minister Netanyahu of his decision, after bickering among politicians held up the nomination.

The Israel Police has been without a permanent commissioner since December 2018, when Roni Alsheich’s term ended. Around the same time, new elections were called, leading to an extended period of instability that saw three elections over the course of a year. Israel is set to hold its fourth election in two years in March, following the Netanyahu-Gantz government’s collapse after seven months passed since its formation.

Kobi Shabtai, incoming Israel Police chief, in a file photo from September 28, 2017 (Moshe Shai/Flash90)