In response to an interview Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen gave over the weekend to the Hebrew-language Haaretz daily newspaper in which he sharply criticized several government ministers, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other top officials severely rebuked the police chief in Sunday meetings.
Olmert called Cohen’s statements “an embarrassment,” while Labor Minister-Without-Portfolio Ami Ayalon called for Cohen’s dismissal.
In his interview with the Hebrew daily, Cohen slammed various members of the government, including the Prime Minister, the Justice Minister and the Vice Premier. Lashing out at Olmert, he said in the interview that "there was this feeling of 'how could such a thing happen.' Most disturbing was the brazen audacity of the acts. It took everyone by surprise."
On Chaim Ramon, who has been convicted of sexual misconduct and who has sharply criticized Cohen’s police force Vice Premier, Cohen said that "Ramon is a convicted felon. He never appealed his conviction. Instead he chose to return to the government and lead a public campaign from within office to restrict the department's moves. Saying the police used illegitimate measures (in his case) is a blatant attempt to discredit us."
He also leveled sharp words at Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann for the latter’s verbal attacks on the commissioner, saying that Freidmann "cannot lash out the Police Department… for him to publicly say such grave things, is outright irresponsible. He weakened the police force and he undermined the department's professionalism and values. He charged that Friedmann’s statements are “indicative of professional, national and even personal carelessness."
Fierce criticism of Cohen followed the publication of the interview, both in a Kadima faction meeting on Sunday and the Cabinet meeting that followed.
At the Kadima faction meeting Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit called Cohen’s comments "scandalous" and Minister Ayalon said that "Cohen should be fired." The comment from Ayalon was seen as an extremely rare censure of a government official by another.
Vice Premier Ramon also lashed out at Cohen in response to the latter’s charges against him. "If, as he says, he doesn’t want to serve under such a delusional government, he can turn in his badge and resign,” said Ramon in the cabinet meeting. “I guess the government was delusional when it chose him for the job."
Cohen issued a formal apology following the firestorm of criticism.