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Itamar Ben-Gvir calls for police commissioner to be fired – Israel News

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National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has summoned Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai to a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in a bid to terminate his term early, Israeli media reported on Monday.

In response to the developments, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG) announced that it would appeal the decision to Israel’s Supreme Court.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara Ben-Gvir reportedly said that inviting the police chief to such a hearing was illegal.

“The summoning of the Commissioner to a hearing by the Minister on empty allegations of ‘dysfunction’ is a blatant attempt to undermine police independence and the powers of the professional level,” the MQG said. “This is a clear departure from the Minister’s powers and a breach of the rule of law.”

Police Chief Kobi Shabtai and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir at a ceremony to appoint new staff and ranks of the Israel Police at the Ministry of National Security in Jerusalem on July 4, 2023. (Source: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Ben-Gvir has previously declared his intention to replace Kobi Shabtai and has already recommended Avshalom Peled as a candidate.

There were disagreements between Ben-Gvir and Shabtai on numerous issues. For example, Ben-Gvir blamed Shabtai for the Meron catastrophe.

The two also clashed over Ben-Gvir’s announcement in March 2023 that he would fire Tel Aviv District Police Chief Ami Eshed over police conduct during protests against judicial reform. Shabtai later claimed the decision was Ben-Gvir’s and said that Eshed would remain in his post until the Attorney General intervened in the matter.

Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.



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