Otzma Yehudit chairman and the designated minister of National Security, MK Itamar Ben Gvir, was interviewed on Channel 12 News on Saturday night and commented on the intervention of Public Security Minister Omer Barlev in the arrests of left-wing demonstrators.
"An officer at the Jerusalem police told me that Barlev constantly interferes in investigations and calls to find out, ‘Have you released this left-wing activist?’ [Yoav] Segalovitz (the Deputy Public Security Minister -ed.) interferes. I'm not like that, I don't want to interfere in investigations, I want to set a policy, I'm not ashamed of the fact that I want to move forces to the south, to deal with violence, crime, protection. I want more forces in the Arab sector," he said.
Ben Gvir added that his being involved is important and explained, "For a crime of spray-painting graffiti, you spend one night in detention, and on the other hand, if a person breaks someone's jaw, they are released from detention after two hours, I want to influence that."
He commented on the reported intention of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to oppose a bill that would give him unprecedented authority over the police force.
"I saw the behavior of the Attorney General, who kept quiet about the appointment of [Menachem] Mazuz as chairman of the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee," said Ben Gvir in the interview. "I said to myself, finally there is an Attorney General who lets politicians work - but apparently only to those from the left."