The Police Internal Investigations Law is a coup law threatening the purity of elections

The article argues that the new Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash) law is part of a "regime coup" threatening the purity of elections in Israel. The authors, Prof. Yaniv Roznai and Adv. Gil Gan-Mor, warn against politicization of the police and the influence of Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on the investigative body, which could lead to election rigging through false arrests, political investigations, and leaks.

The article, by Prof. Yaniv Roznai and Adv. Gil Gan-Mor, warns that the Mahash law recently approved by the Knesset is part of a "regime coup" threatening the purity of elections. The authors argue that subordinating the Police Internal Investigations Department to the Minister of Justice, while giving the minister decisive influence over the appointment of the department head, creates a powerful investigative body that is not independent and is subject to political influence. They note that Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has worked over the past four years to politicize the police, and that the new law could paralyze Mahash's activity during the upcoming election period, as the department head has finished her term and an interim replacement is managing it. The authors warn of an immediate impact on police conduct, as officers may feel immune from prosecution if they serve the minister's interest, as well as a chilling effect on journalists. They call on the High Court of Justice to freeze the law's entry into force with an interim injunction and later annul it.