Police officer who investigated Netanyahu in Cases 1000, 2000 announces retirement
Departure of Coresh Barnoor is latest in series of recent police retirements; critics say far-right minister Ben Gvir trying to mold organization in his image
A senior police officer who led two of the corruption investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday he intended to leave the police, the latest in a series of high-profile resignations in the law enforcement body.
Assistant Commissioner Coresh Barnoor spearheaded inquiries into Netanyahu in the so-called Case 1000 and Case 2000. The former involves allegations that the prime minister received lavish gifts from billionaires in exchange for favors, while the latter pertains to claims that Arnon Mozes, editor-in-chief of Yedioth Ahronoth, offered Netanyahu more favorable coverage in return for promoting legislation to undermine Yedioth’s rival, Israel Hayom. Netanyahu was indicted in both cases, and the trial is ongoing.
Since leaving the National Unit for Fraud Investigations in 2018, Barnoor has served as head of Israel’s national police academy, without being promoted in nearly six years.
“I finished a chapter. I’m starting a new chapter,” Barnoor told his inner circle, according to Haaretz.
Barnoor is the latest senior officer to retire from the police in the past few weeks. Deputy Commissioner Uzi Levy, head of police’s Judea and Samaria District, announced Thursday he would leave the police. Deputy Commissioner Shuki Tahauka, North District commander, and Yigal Ben-Shalom, chief of the Investigations and Intelligence Division, announced their retirement earlier this month, as did Assistant Commissioner Dror Asraf, head of the Investigations Department.
Analysts in Hebrew media consider this wave of departures a reaction to the policies and conduct of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The departures come after the police said Ben Gvir approved a round of appointments made by Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, whom Ben Gvir promoted to lead the organization last month.
Critics have accused Ben Gvir of effectively taking over the police and subjugating the force to his control, with the latest appointments made to reflect that agenda.
Police officers have also been accused of failing to arrest settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank, and of standing idly by when far-right mobs stormed army bases on July 29 following the arrest of IDF reservists accused of sodomizing a Palestinian inmate.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
