Police chief allows senior officers to attend Ben Gvir’s birthday party; Bennett lambasts move, vows to dismiss ‘political’ public servants

Police chief Danny Levy is allowing senior officers in the force to attend a birthday party for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir that is being held tonight.

In an internal memo from the chief commissioner obtained by Ynet, Levy writes that only members of the police senior command are permitted to go to the celebration, which is taking place at a reservable villa in southern Israel.

“Police officers who are not members of the senior command and have been invited to the event are not permitted to attend,” the memo reads.

Levy’s willingness to allow officers to attend the party raises further concern about Ben Gvir’s influence over law enforcement, which critics have warned is liable to undermine police’s independence from political forces.

רבבות שוטרות ושוטרי ישראל המסורים והטובים ראויים לפיקוד ישר, יעיל וממלכתי שמעניק דוגמא אישית.

אני מודיע:
משרת ציבור, בכל תפקיד ובכל ארגון ממשלתי, אשר יפר את חובת האמונים שלו למדינה וינצל את תפקידו בצורה פוליטית ולא ממלכתית, יודח באופן מיידי. pic.twitter.com/uO72LIUR66

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) May 2, 2026

In a social media post, former prime minister Naftali Bennett lambasts Levy’s move and reiterates his vow to dismiss public servants who he deems serve political interests.

“Any public servant, in any role and in any government agency, who breaches his fiduciary duty to the country and exploits his role in a political and non-civic manner, will be immediately dismissed,” he writes.

Replying to the post, Ben Gvir insults Bennett. “Naftali has no friends, and also no work relationships, send him a cake from the party,” he retorts.

Yesh Atid MK Yoav Segalovitz, a former high-ranking police investigator, calls the permission granted to officers to participate in the celebration a “grave incident in the moral and ethical sense.”