"I had 17 district commanders, today 29 - it's crazy": The day after Ben Gvir in the police

Former senior police officials call for reducing the number of district commanders from 29 to 17, returning officers to patrol cars, and including the police commissioner in the cabinet. Former commissioner Moshe Karadi claims that Minister Ben Gvir inflated the ranks for electoral reasons. The next minister will face 141 senior appointments, along with a crisis in recruitment and retention of personnel.

The Israel Police is facing significant changes with the expected end of the term of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. In conversations with "Hayom," former senior police officials present a consensus on the need for a dramatic reduction in the number of district commanders from 29 to 17, returning officers to patrol cars, and including the police commissioner in security cabinet discussions. Former commissioner Moshe Karadi claims that Ben Gvir "inflated all the ranks for electoral reasons" and that the police have lost organizational balance. The next minister will have 141 senior appointments on his desk, including the question of extending the current commissioner's term. The article points to a critical challenge in recruitment and retention: in 2024, about 1,000 new officers were recruited, but many leave due to the lack of a budgeted pension. Karadi proposes establishing a recruitment bureau under his leadership to bring back 400–500 veteran officers for reserve service.