Israel Police Chief Danny Levi formally requested on Monday that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara permit a series of senior police appointments to take effect immediately. This move is significant because the appointments have not yet received the mandatory sign-off from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who holds final authority over such personnel decisions. The request serves to escalate the growing tension between the two officials, as the proposed roles were determined several weeks ago but remain in limbo due to procedural hurdles.
As the National Security Minister, Ben-Gvir oversees the Israel Police and is required to approve senior appointments for them to become active. In September, the minister informed Levi that no further senior officer appointments would be processed until after the October 27 election, with the exception of rare, urgent cases. Levi argued that this timeline is no longer sustainable given the current operational needs of the force.
According to information obtained by Maariv, the urgency stems from a shortage of permanent commanders in several high-level positions. These vacancies include roles for district commanders, subdistrict commanders, and police station heads. Levi believes that the prolonged delay is negatively impacting the police force's functionality and the continuity of command. He maintains that these critical posts can no longer be left unfilled by acting officers or deputies.
The timing of Levi's request to the Attorney General is particularly notable as it came one day after Ben-Gvir launched a sharp public criticism of the commissioner. In an interview on Sunday, Ben-Gvir alleged that Levi is effectively captive to the Attorney General. The minister also claimed that Levi had committed building violations and that the legal office had failed to act on the matter. Although these claims have not been proven, their public airing highlighted the depth of the rift between the two men.
Levi was appointed as police commissioner in August 2024 based on Ben-Gvir's recommendation. It is now a rare situation where the official handpicked by the minister is in open conflict with his appointer, turning to the Attorney General to push through appointments that the minister has not yet approved. This dynamic creates a complex legal and political scenario, especially since Ben-Gvir had just accused the Attorney General of holding Levi captive the previous day.
Among the pending appointments is a permanent commander for a specific district that has operated without a full-time head since Assistant Chief Amir Cohen retired. Currently, the district is managed by its deputy commander, but Levi insists on an immediate permanent appointment. Additionally, there are vacancies for subdistrict and station commanders across the country, including in the Ayalon subdistrict in the Tel Aviv area, where the current commander is expected to retire in the coming days.
Other positions have become vacant due to officer retirements, the end of command terms, or the removal of individuals from the command staff. Levi has indicated in various forums that he intends to proceed with these appointments despite the difficulties in securing approval. He views the situation as an organizational and operational necessity that cannot afford further delay, particularly for posts that involve leading key units and regions.
Levi believes that Ben-Gvir is deliberately delaying the approval process as a result of their strained relationship. Consequently, the request to the Attorney General is an effort to find a legal mechanism to advance the appointments without waiting for the minister's signature. This strategy allows the police to maintain operational readiness while navigating the political impasse.
As of the publication of the report, Ben-Gvir had not yet responded to the commissioner's formal request. The situation remains fluid, with both sides now looking to the legal framework to resolve a dispute that has moved from internal disagreements to public confrontation.
