Com. Yohanan Danino
Com. Yohanan DaninoFlash90

Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino convened an emergency meeting of senior staff Wednesday, in yet another measure to address political turmoil among his ranks. 

Danino stated that the situation is not simple.

"These are difficult times for the police, and when the eyes of the public look to us for guidance, it is our responsibility to return to our usual business - immediately," Danino declared. 

Danino reiterated his vow Tuesday to crack down on rogue officers. 

"I will not hesitate to dismiss an officer, regardless of rank, if it turns out that he values his personal benefit at the expense of the organization," he fired, adding that such an officer "will ultimately be held accountable to the organization and to the public."

Danino also derided the rumors floating in Israeli media about skeletons in the police force's closet.

"Evil spirits are ruminating, in-house and out, and these spirits have received wide public resonance and [caused] serious harm," he said. "As the head of the organization, I say this: you cannot rock the boat - inside or out." 

Danino's tenure has seen a number of snafus and incidents.

These include corruption charges filed against Lahav 433 Commander Menashe Arbiv, who is involved in the Rabbi Yoshayahu Pinto affair; the resignation of Jerusalem District Police Commander Major Gen. Niso Shahar on charges of attempted sexual assault; several other sexual harassment accusations regarding senior officers; and the poor handling of the police call made by Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel (16), Gilad Sha'ar (16), and Eyal Yifrah (19), hy"d, who called the 100 hotline soon after being abducted and were not taken seriously by hotline operators. 

More recently, Danino has faced criticism for Jerusalem's "silent intifada," with many accusing the Commissioner of not doing enough to quell the rioting and unrest seeping from the capital's Arab neighborhoods outward.

The Police Commissioner has made a number of drastic and unprecedented steps, however, following one final blow to the police's reputation: the sudden resignation of Jerusalem District Police Chief Yossi Pariente, who left for "personal reasons" on Monday. No more details have been given about Pariente's decision, but rumors have widely circulated that he was involved in yet another scandal. 

Following the announcement, Danino announced Tuesday that he would initiate a polygraph test policy for future police candidates. Separately, Interior Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch vowed to bring a "new spirit" to the police force - with the concurrent statements themselves making media headlines. 

Danino, exasperated, lashed out at the media storm Wednesday. 

"It cannot be acceptable that an organization goes through a complete upheaval because of this or that event," he declared. "The Israel Police can not afford to lower its guard for even a moment, because we're supposed to set the highest bar for moral and ethical standards." 

"We are all public servants, who faithfully took that duty upon our shoulders the moment we decided to serve Israeli police in general, and as senior commanders in particular," Danino continued. "The rigorous criteria and expectations for conduct are legitimate."

"Every one of the people sitting here today will return to his unit today and will convey this message to his people," he thundered. "We have a strong police force, we have an excellent police force, we should be proud of the police, and we should stand behind the Commissioner's speech."