The National Guard has recently caused controversy, with both support and opposition from the public. Despite the announcement of its establishment at a recent cabinet meeting, the actual development of the force will not take place until early 2024. A committee composed of members from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Security, legal and security officials, and IDF and Israel Police representatives has been assembled to provide recommendations and formulate guidelines for the National Guard’s future activities, powers, and command structure within 90 days.
One issue under debate is the subordination of the National Guard, with some wanting it to operate under the Ministry of National Security as an independent security body, and others, like Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, suggesting it should operate under the Israel Police as an independent arm with its own commanding officer. However, a source close to the Minister of National Security says that an agreement has yet to be reached, and further discussions are necessary.
Currently, the establishment of the National Guard has only been approved in principle, with a vote on the details scheduled for later in the year. The necessary funding will be allocated in the upcoming state budget, and three rounds of voting will be required for the plan to pass. Only after this process is completed can equipment purchases and personnel recruitment begin. The first cycle of the National Guard is predicted to start after the current commissioner finishes his term at the end of 2023. Commissioner Shabtai has expressed his belief that the National Guard should be a part of the police force and operate under its command during routine and emergency situations.
The National Guard, the establishment of which was announced again this week with great fanfare at the cabinet meeting, is causing an uproar. The left protested against the move, residents in areas without governance welcomed it, but going down to the details of the decision reveals that even if the government does manage to raise resources and suitable personnel for the establishment of the new force, this will only happen close to the beginning of 2024.
The government approved the decision to establish a committee with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Security, legal and security officials and representatives of the IDF and the Israel Police. The committee will submit its recommendations within 90 days and is expected to formulate basic guidelines according to which the lines of activity of the guard, its powers and commanders will be determined in the future.
The bone of contention between the parties is the subordination of the future National Guard: initially Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir agreed that the Guard would operate under the Ministry of National Security, as an independent security body, but Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai disagreed with the idea. This week on Monday Ben-Gvir and Shabtai were appointed to formulate a work plan for the establishment of the Mishmar, and police officials said after the meeting that there was agreement that the Mishmar would operate under the Israel Police as an independent arm, and that an officer of the rank of lieutenant would head it.
A source in the minister’s environment paints a different picture; According to him, agreement on the issue is still far away. The matters will be examined in the minister’s office, and together with the conclusions of the committee approved by the government and other considerations, the minister will decide on the right way for him to formulate the plan for establishing the guard.
As mentioned, the government only approved the establishment of a committee; When its conclusions are presented in July, the details of the establishment of the guard will be put to a vote in the Knesset. In the vote on the upcoming state budget, a special budget will be allocated for the move, after which the plan must pass in three readings. Only then can the process of purchasing the equipment and recruiting the personnel begin, and it seems that the first cycle of the National Guard will begin its service only after the current commissioner finishes his duties, at the end of 2023.
On Tuesday, after the meeting of the commissioner and the minister, Shabtai spoke at the launch ceremony of the Institute for the Study of Personal Security and Community Resilience at the Western Galilee Academic College in Acre. Shabtai in a speech. “This force must be part of the police, and be subordinate to the commanders of the territorial forces according to the clear chain of command in routine and emergency situations. After my meeting yesterday with the Minister and the Ministry of National Security, I very much hope that the direction is to keep the police as a united independent body, which includes the National Guard.”