Prison service chief detained for questioning; Ben Gvir accuses AG of ‘attempted coup’
Kobi Yaakobi probed for hours on suspicion of breach of trust, obstructing justice, is let go under restrictive conditions; Ben Gvir, who appointed him, says AG crossed ‘red line’
Israel Prison Service Chief Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi was confirmed to have been detained Monday for questioning on suspicion of obstructing an investigation and breach of trust, hours after the Department of Internal Police Investigations said it had arrested a senior prison official and two police officers.
While many details of the case remain covered by a gag order, including the identity of the two police officers, the DIPI said that Yaakobi’s interrogation came in the wake of an undercover operation.
Yaakobi was detained for more than 12 hours on Monday and was released on the condition that he make no attempt to contact any other suspects, according to Channel 12 news.
One of the police officers detained with Yaakobi is a senior commander suspected of integrity issues, breach of duty, breach of trust, and abuse of his position. The other officer, a superintendent, is suspected of bribery.
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended the detention of the senior police officer until Thursday, the Ynet news site reported.
National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, whose ministry oversees both the police and the prison service, came out in support of Yaakobi after Hebrew media named him as the high-ranking official who was questioned.
“We love you, Kobi. The people are with you against the attorney general’s coup d’etat,” he wrote on X, with an accompanying photo of himself together with the chief prison warden.
אוהבים אותך קובי
העם איתך נגד ההפיכה השלטונית של היועמ"שית ????????❤️ pic.twitter.com/90UEGu2Pxu— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) December 2, 2024
In a second, longer statement, Ben Gvir lauded Yaakobi as a “dedicated fighter for the State of Israel,” stating that under his leadership, “governance and order have been achieved in the prison service.”
“I give him my full support, and he will continue to lead the prison service with a firm hand,” he added.
Ben Gvir, who heads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, promoted Yaakobi to the head of the prisons service earlier this year amid criticism that the nomination was politically motivated, as he had previously served as Ben Gvir’s security secretary.
The ultranationalist minister claimed more than once on Monday that the arrest of Yaakobi and the police officers was part of his ongoing dispute with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara over her push to have him dismissed for repeatedly intervening in operational police matters and allegedly politicizing promotions.
“The attorney general and the State Prosecutor’s Office are using the Department of Internal Police Investigations to deter a very senior officer in the Prison Service and police officers from carrying out my policy and that of the right-wing government,” Ben Gvir wrote on X after news of the DIPI interrogation first broke.
He declared that “a clear red line has been crossed” and called the move “an attempted coup.”
He repeated the accusation during a press conference several hours later, when Yaakobi’s name was still under wraps.
“Gali Baharav-Miara’s private police crossed a red line. She decided to detain for questioning two senior officials in the law enforcement system who carry out my policy,” he said. “The decision to investigate officers who are operating according to my policies is a political decision that aims to overthrow the right-wing government.”
At the end of the press conference, Ben Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin to convene an investigative committee to promote the attorney general’s dismissal.
According to Hebrew media reports, Yaakobi is suspected of having asked a female police officer to request that another person remove certain messages on the Telegram app that were deemed detrimental to Ben Gvir. According to Ynet, the officer indicated to the third person that his career advancement would depend on him agreeing to the request. The outlet did not offer any further details on the role or position of the third person.
The Kan public broadcaster reported that the police officer has for some months been suspended from her role in the service.
In a statement to Channel 12 on Monday evening, Yaakobi said he could not speak freely about the ongoing investigation due to the terms of his release.
“I immediately asked to hold a press conference, but one of the conditions imposed on me is a ban on doing so,” he said. “I can only say that I have nothing to hide and nothing to hide from.”
He told the news outlet that while he would “be happy to answer” questions about the suspected instances of obstruction of justice and breach of trust, he was not able to do so at this stage.
“I promise that as soon as I can, I will answer everything,” he said.
Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, who is not a suspect in the case, gave an open testimony to the DIPI on Monday as well, Hebrew media reported.
Levy, who was appointed by Ben Gvir earlier this year, has indicated that he will not stand in the way of the investigation into his officers, according to Channel 12, who quoted him as saying that he hopes the officers “come out clean” but that if they do not, he will be “the first to kick them out of the organization.”
The senior police officer detained in the case was reported to be suspected of leaking classified information to Ben Gvir, who allegedly promised him a promotion in return.
The officer is said to be a senior official in the Israel Police’s West Bank division.
The division has been the subject of frustration for the Shin Bet security service in recent months, Ynet stated, due to its general unprofessional behavior, and in particular, the conduct of the department tasked with dealing with Jewish terrorism. In one instance, the report found that the unit only acted on three out of 15 requests from the Shin Bet to deal with Jewish extremists.
The interrogation of the officers came a week after five people who had previously worked in Ben Gvir’s office were investigated by the police major crimes unit in a probe into suspicions that the ministry issued firearms permits without authority.
Ben Gvir in that matter similarly accused Baharav-Miara of conducting “a coup against democracy.”
Baharav-Miara has frequently clashed with members of Netanyahu’s right-wing government over some of the unprecedentedly far-reaching policies it has sought to advance. The disagreements have escalated amid ongoing investigations into the premier’s staff.
Ben Gvir and several others have not been shy about publicly demanding Baharav-Miara’s ouster. Last week, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said that 13 ministers had signed a document demanding the government fire the attorney general.
