From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Police chief to end term in January amid tensions with Ben Gvir
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai will end his term in January and not seek an additional year, according to a joint statement from Shabtai and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Tensions have been high between the two as the far-right minister sought to exert more influence over the police.
During a meeting tonight, the two also agreed on a series of high-profile appointments in the police.
Among them is the replacement of Tel Aviv District Commander Amichai Eshed. Ben Gvir had previously tried and failed to fire Eshed over his supposedly gentle handling of anti-government protests.
Eshed will be replaced by Commander Pretz Amar.
They also agreed on the appointment of Commander Amir Cohen to head the southern district and Commander Yoram Sofer will be appointed to head the fight against crime in the Arab community.
The Times of Israel Community.