Haaretz police correspondent Josh Breiner launched a sharp attack against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, claiming that his influence over the Israel Police will continue even after the elections.
Speaking on the newspaper’s “This Week" podcast, where he appeared alongside former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi, Breiner addressed the issue of police compliance with High Court of Justice rulings and said that, in his assessment, there is currently no one in the police force capable of setting limits for the minister.
“I don’t know what the police will do at the moment of truth. I only know that today there is no one in the police who can tell Ben Gvir ‘no.’ Not even the police commissioner - certainly not him," he said.
According to Breiner, “If Ben Gvir does something improper in front of police officers, violates the law, no one will dare tell him ‘no.’ If he wants to do something he is forbidden from doing within the police - to access information or review matters - the police are trembling with fear of Itamar Ben Gvir and Hanamel Dorfman."
Breiner also claimed that senior police officials owe their promotions to the minister: “There are people inside the police today who are painted in the strong colors of Jewish Power [Otzma Yehudit], who owe their careers and pensions to Ben Gvir, and they will not forget that the next day."
He later estimated that rebuilding the police force would be a lengthy process. “Rehabilitating the police is a matter of five years, perhaps even a decade ahead," he said. According to him, “If you ask police officers today who they are loyal to - I’m not sure they will say the law and the flag. I am fairly certain that many of them, deep down, agree with Ben Gvir and his path. They are his devoted followers, and even on the day after [the elections], they will obey him rather than the elected government."
When asked how this could happen if Ben Gvir does not continue serving as National Security Minister after the elections, Breiner replied: “In the police, the desire for ranks has driven them out of their minds a long time ago. Ben Gvir has already stated that he wants to remain in the National Security Ministry. He intends to continue holding that position. He will still control the police - even when he is no longer there, because today the entire police leadership owes Ben Gvir their ranks. They will continue answering his phone calls even the day after. They will not dare hang up on him or refuse to answer him at all."