From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Policewoman whose promotion is blocked by Ben Gvir tells court situation is ‘unbelievable’
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Supt. Rinat Saban, a police detective whose promotion is being blocked by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, speaks out on the matter for the first time, calling it “unbelievable” that she has been made to fight for her promotion in court.
The far-right minister and Saban arrived at the Jerusalem District Court for a first hearing on the matter this morning.
Ben Gvir has for months been preventing the advancement of Saban — who was involved in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial — against the counsel of senior police brass.
“For an entire year I did not speak because it’s forbidden for an officer to comment, but it is important for me to speak,” Saban says, according to Walla. “It’s unbelievable that I have to stand here in court and explain why I should be promoted.”
She then turns to Ben Gvir and asks him: “Is there a threat here, minister?” accusing him of conveying a message to officers that they will pay a professional price for being involved with certain cases. “This is a heavy personal price that I am bearing here,” she says, according to the outlet.
At the start of the trial, Ben Gvir speaks to the press and accuses Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has been demanding the far-right minister sign off on Saban’s promotion, of behaving like a member of a criminal gang.
“What you are seeing is behavior that is very much like that of a mafia… they are threatening me that if I don’t promote this officer, they’ll fire me,” he says, referring to the Attorney General’s Office.
Police chief Danny Levy has been seeking to promote the superintendent and argued in a court filing that Ben Gvir’s refusal to give the final signature “could sow fear among police officers who testify in criminal investigations.”
Ben Gvir signed off on Saban’s promotion in December 2024, conditional on her completing the police command and staff course. She completed the course in April 2025, a month after testifying against Netanyahu in court. Then, in a reversal, he blocked the promotion.
The Times of Israel Community.