National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Friday demanded that Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai summon Ami Eshed, the Commander of the Tel Aviv District of the Police, and “clarify to him the minister's policy regarding blocking of roads."
The demand comes ahead of Saturday night’s planned protests against the judicial reform, as Ben Gvir seeks to ensure that protesters do not block main roads and arteries during the demonstration.
Ben Gvir demanded in his letter to Shabtai that the order be passed on to the commanders of the other districts as well, adding that "my policy is that as long as police officers are attacked or major thoroughfares are blocked, public order must be maintained."
Besides that, Ben Gvir praised the Commissioner for the police's activity during the protest against the judicial reform the week.
"Your handling of the events resulted in full control of the riots and the maintenance of public order in a short period of time, and even prevented further harm to police officers in the field and to public property," the minister wrote in the letter.
He clarified that, in any case, the police should not agree in advance to central roads being blocked during a demonstration without a permit and contrary to the conditions of the demonstration license.
"Of course, every commander in the field has discretion on how to implement the policy, but it must be remembered that it is the minister who determines the policy, not the commander in the field," Ben Gvir pointed out. "I also seek to strengthen you and the police officers, who acted this week around the country in order to prevent anarchy and enable the normal fabric of life," he added.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)