Standing in line: also this year - Ben Gvir continued to interview dozens of police officers

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir conducted interviews in 2025 with 96 police officers candidates for promotion, at the rank of Chief Superintendent and above. This follows 109 interviews he held in 2024. The figure reveals the minister's continued personal involvement in officer appointments, contrary to past practice where ministers only interviewed candidates for the ranks of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. Tensions between Ben Gvir and the Police Commissioner are escalating amid disputes over the identity of candidates for promotion.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir conducted interviews in 2025 with 96 police officers candidates for promotion, at the rank of Chief Superintendent and above. This data was published today (Thursday) on Walla, and joins data from the previous year in which Ben Gvir interviewed 109 officers. For comparison, ministers before him used to interview only candidates for the ranks of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. Tensions between Ben Gvir and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai have been escalating in recent weeks amid disputes over the identity of officers to be promoted. Ben Gvir accuses the Commissioner of deliberately delaying the appointment round until the election period in order to pull off a takeover. About three weeks ago, the Commissioner blew up a discussion on approving appointments after the names were leaked. This week, a renewed discussion was supposed to take place, but Ben Gvir ordered it not to be held, citing the election period. The Commissioner ultimately held the discussion and approved some of the appointments, including the appointment of Deputy Commissioner Tamar Liberty to the position of Deputy Legal Advisor to the Police, which Ben Gvir opposes. Ben Gvir conspicuously absented himself from the Rosh Hashanah ceremony at the National Police College, where ranks were not awarded due to his refusal to sign off on the appointments. Ben Gvir's office stated that he is proud of the interviews with mid-ranking officers, unlike in the past, and that the appointments will be examined on their merits.