Ben-Gvir cannot order police during protests: Top Israeli court

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Mar 2023 20:38

Supreme Court judge Isaac Amit asked Ben-Gvir last week to refrain from giving the police orders over how to handle the wave of protests sweeping "Israel".

Jewish Power party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks following the announcement of exit polls in "Israel's" general election, at his party headquarters in Al-Quds on November 2, 2022. (Reuters)

Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is not allowed to give orders to the Israeli police, announced "Israel's" Supreme Court today. The Minister is to cease giving direct instructions concerning how police are to handle the mass protests against the government's planned judicial overhaul.

“These matters and details are subject to the operational discretion of the professional ranks of the police and commanders in the field, according to the changing circumstances and conditions in the field," said Supreme Court judge Isaac Amit in a statement.

Amit had asked Ben-Gvir last week to refrain from giving the police orders over how to handle the wave of protests sweeping "Israel".

In response to the Supreme Court, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said Ben-Gvir is not to interfere, whether directly or indirectly, in police tactics “even when these orders are allegedly disguised as policy instructions.”

Baharay-Miara believed that “Ben-Gvir’s behavior crossed the line” and is “tantamount to intervening or attempting to intervene in the professional and independent discretion of police during protests."

As such, she urged the Minister to refrain from giving orders to the police, especially those related to the public protests taking place.

She referred to several cases where Ben-Gvir acted against the procedure, instancing the summoning of Doron Turgeman, Al-Quds district police commander, during one of the protests due to his disappointment with how the police had handled the protests.

In another instance, Ben-Gvir asked the police to clear demonstrations that were blocking specific roads and highways during another protest earlier this month.

On February 26, the Israeli media highlighted "the widening of the protests" and added that "hundreds of members of the security services" have joined the demonstrations against the judicial amendments.

According to Israeli media, the IOF is concerned about a serious crisis in the IOF reserves, following the anti-Netanyahu government protests.