Could the Commissioner be removed? Ben Gvir responds to the threat: "In your dreams, Gali""

October 29, 2024   

The clashes between the Commissioner-General and the Attorney General: The Ministry of Justice accuses Police Commissioner-General Danny Levy of acting in isolation from the requirements of the law, when he decided to transfer Police Attorney General Elazar Kahane from his position to another position. According to a report on Channel 13, according to legal sources, the position and conduct of the Police Commissioner so far could even lead to his removal from the post of Chief of Police by the High Court of Justice judges. In response to the attempted threat against the Commissioner, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted on his Twitter account: "In your dreams, Gali." This evening, Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister Gali Baharav-Miara intensified her tone towards Levy, and in a letter she sent him, she claimed: "You are not authorized to exempt yourself from the law." She added: "As you stated, you do not intend to follow the legal directive that was given and order the freezing of all procedures related to the removal of the Police Attorney General from his position, against his will, until the legality of the move is investigated." According to her, "the seriousness of the incident, in which the Israel Police - responsible for compliance with the law - ignores legal directives under the pretext of independence, cannot be underestimated." The Attorney General explained in the letter that "from a professional point of view, the Police Attorney General is subordinate to the Attorney General. This basic rule is also anchored in police directives and was applied in the appointment process of the current Police Attorney General, which included consultations between the then Commissioner and the then Attorney General. For these reasons, it is also mandatory that the transfer of the Police Attorney General from his position be done after consultations with the Attorney General to the government." She emphasized: "Therefore, all procedures for transferring the Police Attorney General from his position and re-filling the position must be frozen. This includes stopping the process of submitting nominations for the position, until the review of the legality of the exceptional move is completed and a meeting is held as agreed with you. Any other action that could promote the transfer of the Attorney General would be an action in violation of the law." The police were quick to respond to the letter, stating: "The Israel Police addressed the Attorney General's letter last week and there is nothing to add on the matter. The Police Commissioner is busy from morning to night fighting crime and leading the organization." Last week, after the Attorney General informed the Commissioner that the process of dismissing the Police Commissioner was frozen, he responded in a letter he sent: "The Police Commissioner has not been dismissed" - and added: "I do not recognize an obligation to consult with you.".