New police chief won’t say if he’ll obey AG on Ben Gvir’s promotion of indicted cop
Controversy comes amid latest clash between attorney general and far-right minister over his efforts to influence policy of the Israel Police
The Israel Police said in a statement Tuesday that its newly appointed commissioner, Daniel Levy, “is committed to acting in accordance with the law, unequivocally,” in response to a report that he had refused to say whether he would follow legal directions from the attorney general.
Channel 12 reported that Levy, who entered the role on Sunday, declined to say whom he would defer to — far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir or Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara — amid conflicting positions by the two over the legality of a controversial officer’s promotion last week. The police statement disputed the report but did not clarify Levy’s position.
Ben Gvir promoted Meir Suissa, an Israeli Police officer who was indicted earlier this year for throwing a stun gun at protesters, to chief superintendent last week, and placed him in command of the south Tel Aviv police station.
Then, on Sunday, Baharav-Miara blocked the promotion, saying it had been made without the proper authorization. Avshalom Peled, who was serving as interim police chief until Levy was sworn in, was banned by Baharav-Miara from making personnel decisions while serving in the role, and Levy was not yet in office to approve the promotion.
Ben Gvir insisted that Suissa’s promotion would go ahead nevertheless, and said that if Baharav-Miara “wants to cancel the minister’s appointment, she is welcome to go to the Supreme Court.”
According to Channel 12, Levy twice refused to clarify his position on the issue while speaking to a correspondent from the network on Sunday, saying he’d issue a statement instead.
Police on Tuesday said that “the presentation of comments attributed to the commissioner, in several news outlets, is incorrect, to put it mildly,” and said Levy would hold a dedicated discussion on the controversial promotion.
According to Channel 12, Levy told associates on Monday, “I only came into this role yesterday. The decision to promote Suissa to chief superintendent and to place him in command of the south Tel Aviv police station was made by my predecessor, [Avshalom] Peled. From my point of view, this is a closed matter, I don’t intend to involve myself in it.”
Peled, who was investigated for bribery in 2015, was Ben Gvir’s initial pick for police commissioner but withdrew his candidacy on July 29.
Reacting to the Channel 12 report on Monday, the anti-government “Free in Our Land” group called Suissa’s promotion “just one more step in Minister Ben Gvir’s politicization of the police.”
The group said it was “glad that there are still some functioning gatekeepers in Israel, like the head of the Shin Bet and the attorney general, who stand up to these attempts.”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel called on the High Court to intervene immediately, and to suspend Levy’s tenure as commissioner:
“Levy’s refusal to declare clearly that he will act in accordance with the attorney general’s directives affirms our suspicion that he is not capable of standing up to political pressure and protecting the independence of the police,” the organization said in a statement, according to Channel 12.
The episode marked the latest confrontation between Ben Gvir and Baharav-Miara, who have butted heads ever since the national security minister assumed his position in late 2022.
Ben Gvir has repeatedly called for Baharav-Miara to be fired, and said in March that she “currently functions as de facto opposition leader.”
Critics have accused Ben Gvir of effectively taking over the police and subjugating the force to his control. The far-right minister has reportedly ordered the police not to prevent extremists from attacking trucks bringing supplies to Gaza amid the war there.
Police officers have also been accused of failing to arrest settlers who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank, and of standing by when far-right mobs stormed army bases on July 29 following the arrest of IDF reservists accused of sodomizing a Palestinian inmate.
On Thursday, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar wrote to Netanyahu that “a secret sense of backing” from the police was emboldening Jewish terrorists. Ben Gvir reportedly stormed out of a cabinet meeting later that day after the government rejected his demand that Bar be fired over the letter.
