Rivlin defends head of vetting panel under fire for rejecting top cop nominee

President Reuven Rivlin on expresses support for former Supreme Court judge Eliezer Goldberg, who has been at the center of controversy after a vetting committee he heads decided to reject the government-approved candidate to be the next police chief.

“I feel that in the heat of debate, provocative and offensive things have been said that should not be part of issues such as this, things that amount to false accusations against Justice Goldberg,” Rivlin charges during a ceremony swearing in new judges.

“One cannot appoint a committee by government decision and expect it to be a rubber stamp,” Rivlin says. “Justice Goldberg and the other members of the committee have the duty — not the right — to express their views clearly.”

The president adds he is “confident that any decision made by the committee, headed by Goldberg, stems from completely professional and practical considerations, with purely the benefit of the state driving them.”

The Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, also known as the Goldberg Committee, announced on Friday that it could not recommend Maj. Gen. Moshe “Chico” Edri as the next commissioner, citing a meeting he held during the nomination process with the lawyer of a Tax Authority whistleblower who has accused Edri of harassing him.

Following that decision, Education Minister Naftali Bennett as well as law enforcement sources this week accused Goldberg of racism.

— Michael Bachner