The Movement for the Quality of Government today (Saturday) hastily appealed to the Legal Advisor to the Government, Attorney Gali Beharev-Miara, and the Commissioner of Police, R.N. Yaakov Shabtai, on the issue of the “inappropriate and prohibited political involvement” of the Minister of National Security in the management of the Israel Police. Further to the letter sent by Ben Gabir to the Commissioner of Police regarding the Minister’s policy regarding the blocking of major traffic routes during protests.
According to the movement, Minister Ben Gvir is using the police as his “private militia”, and in order to suppress a public protest which is not convenient for him, while using severe police violence and “backing up” the police officers in the field.
Ben Gabir in a letter to the commissioner ahead of tonight’s protest: “Refine my policy regarding road blocks”
A former senior police officer warns: “If Ben Gabir continues to intervene in the protests, there will be casualties”
In the appeal, the event that took place last Wednesday was mentioned, “where we were horrified to see – along with the entire public in Israel – the picture that was circulated by the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gabir, while he was in the police headquarters managing the protest events, to the point of giving orders on the ground to the police and policing officials.” , the language of reference.
“It seemed that on this Wednesday, the police, its officers and commanders – lost control of the events, and from professional and measured management the police response turned into a violent and predatory response – on behalf of a politician whose demonstrations are partly directed at him and the government in which he serves.
“In our appeal, we mentioned the letter of the Minister of National Security that was sent yesterday to the Commissioner, in which, according to the movement, was hidden an actual order containing instructions on how to conduct professional evaluations of the Israel Police in the management of public order.
“In our letter, we called on the police commissioner not to obey these orders of the minister, which have a black flag flying over them, orders that are clearly illegal, and given without authority and while trying to disguise them as “policy of the minister”. We also called on the ombudsman for the government to immediately issue a directive prohibiting the minister from interfering in the management of the professional affairs of the Israel Police, and leaving them in the hands of the professional echelon and the command in the field
Attorney Tomer Naor, head of the legal department of the Movement for the Quality of Government, stated: “We strengthen the hands of the police officers and commanders of the Israel Police, and we will act in any legal way in order to protect the Israel Police – the policing body responsible for the safety and security of the citizens of the State of Israel – from Political involvement is prohibited and illegal. We trust the police commissioner and the ombudsman for the government, that they will do everything in order to protect the Israel Police, and to protect the protesting public.”