The Israeli Police Commissioner intensified his criticism of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, asserting that delays to the police budget ordered by the minister are harming national security, according to Israeli media reports.
The Police Commissioner escalated his public conflict with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Wednesday evening, directly accusing the minister of harming national security by withholding police budgets. The statement follows a letter the commissioner sent earlier in the evening, reported by Israeli media, in which he charged that the police budget was being delayed on the minister's orders and that the situation could not continue.
The confrontation is the latest in a series of clashes between Ben Gvir and senior law enforcement officials. The Attorney General has previously petitioned the High Court to have Ben Gvir removed from office, citing his interference in police operations and a breakdown of professional boundaries — as The Zioneer reported. The commissioner's latest remarks signal that the rift between the minister and the police command is widening, with the commissioner now publicly framing the budget dispute as a direct threat to national security.
It remains unclear whether the budget impasse will be resolved ahead of the upcoming fiscal year, and whether the commissioner's public campaign will shift political pressure on Ben Gvir.
4 developments
- DevelopingFinance Ministry, senior police officials reportedly working to bypass Ben Gvir on police funding
- DevelopingBen Gvir delays police officer promotions; Attorney General warns of 'extraneous considerations'
- DevelopingBen Gvir tells High Court attorney general unilaterally ended talks on police role
- StrongOfficers threaten High Court petition if Ben Gvir refuses to sign police appointments
Source and signal
- Open-source intake