Police chief distances himself from court filing against Ben Gvir, in promotion spat

In a letter to the attorney general on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Danny Levy partially distanced himself from court filings signed in his name against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s refusal to promote a policewoman involved in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, according to Hebrew outlets.

“All of the statements that the attorney general wrote in the response filed yesterday with respect to Ben Gvir are not accepted by [Levy], and he does not stand behind them,” the letter said, according to the Walla news site.

Levy reportedly added that he “rejects out of hand any effort to attribute to him any statements interpreting the minister’s considerations.” He also said he believes Supt. Rinat Saban — whose promotion Ben Gvir has been blocking for months, against the wishes of police brass and the attorney general — is worthy of advancement.

Levy also claimed that he requested to file his own affidavit separate from the attorney general, but was denied, according to reports.

The affidavit submitted Tuesday night to the Jerusalem District Court was signed jointly by Levy and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. It requested that a judge order Ben Gvir to sign off on Saban’s promotion, and if he were to refuse, then Levy be permitted to appoint her without the minister’s signature. It also stated that Ben Gvir’s refusal could sow fear among police officers who testify in criminal investigations, and discourage them from probing public figures.

In the affidavit, Levy also appeared to request that the court grant him permission to go over Ben Gvir’s head and promote Saban, should the ultranationalist minister refuse a potential court order to promote her.

Saban, whose promotion Ben Gvir has reportedly been blocking since early June, testified against Netanyahu in March and previously investigated his advisers Jonatan Urich and Ofer Golan on suspicion of harassing Shlomo Filber, a state witness in Case 4000, the most serious of the three cases in the premier’s ongoing corruption trial.

In July, Baharav-Miara accused Ben Gvir of factoring political considerations into his decision to block Saban’s promotion, calling his behavior “highly unusual and unprecedented compared to past police promotions.”

In April, Baharav-Miara and Ben Gvir came to an agreement in which he committed to curbing his involvement in police promotions and operational decision-making. The agreement was a precondition set by the attorney general before she agreed to defend Ben Gvir in the High Court against petitions demanding his dismissal.

The agreement barred Ben Gvir from interviewing officers up to the rank of superintendent for promotion, distancing him from the promotion process for mid-ranking police. But just a week after reaching the agreement, Ben Gvir denied ceding authority to appoint and promote police officers, insisting that he only agreed not to interview officers.

Earlier this year, Ben Gvir boasted that he offers promotions to police officers only if he is convinced they will implement his policies, including “compassion for right-wing activists” and the destruction of “entire villages” illegally built by Bedouins on state land in the Negev.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.