The Israel Police has been left essentially rudderless. Progress towards finding a new Police Chief had been moving along at a brisk pace until last night, when it screeched to an abrupt halt with the announcement by Yaakov Genot that he would not accept the position.
The story started last month when the Zeiler Commission found that incumbent Police Chief Moshe Karadi had been improperly involved and responsible for police negligence and corruption. Hours later, Karadi announced his resignation, effective upon the appointment of a successor. Just a day later, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter announced his choice for the new top cop - Prison Service head Yaakov Genot.
Minister Dichter attempted to preempt criticism of his choice by acknowledging Genot's problematic past: "Thirteen years ago, Genot was tried for a crime of which he was found innocent. His record contains a disciplinary stain, but he passed the appointments committee. I considered the issue as part of my overall considerations..."
It didn't work, however. The details of the case were repeatedly reviewed in the media: In 1994, Genot was accused of corruption charges, including accepting bribes, during his term as police commander of the Northern District. He was found innocent of the charges in Magistrate's Court due to lack of evidence and "reasonable doubt," and the decision was upheld in the Supreme Court.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz expressed reservations about Genot's promotion, but in a letter to Dichter he concluded that "there is no legal obstacle" to Ganot's appointment as police commissioner.
Yet the criticism did not die down. At least two former Supreme Court justices joined the call to withdraw Genot's nomination, and a civil rights organization appealed to the High Court against the appointment. Finally last night (Monday), Genot announced that he was withdrawing his name from candidacy for Police Commissioner. In a letter to Minister Dichter, Genot wrote that he does not want the criticism that has stuck to him - "unjustly," he feels - to adhere to the police in general. Some surmise that Genot wished to preempt his rejection by the Tirkel Committee, which was appointed to review his appointment.
Minister Dichter, who had earlier said that the new commissioner would not come from the ranks of the currently-serving top police officers, now appears to be hard-pressed to find a replacement for Karadi.
Dichter's original decision to appoint Genot was accompanied by his decision to appoint Police Maj.-Gen. Mickey Levy as the next deputy police commissioner. Levy is currently serving as the Israel Police Representative in the US. Dichter said at the time that he would under no circumstances appoint Levy as Police Commissioner - and even his appointment as Deputy Police Chief is now in doubt.
MK Ophir Pines (Labor), who chairs the Knesset Interior Committee which oversees the police, said, "It is fortunate that the public pressure succeeded in repairing Minister Dichter's mistake. The public is no longer willing to accept appointment of those who are stained, and certainly not at the top of the law enforcement body. It's unfortunate that Minister Dichter was unable to understand this without public pressure, for which Genot had to pay the price."