Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Police Commissioner Senior Superintendent Yaakov (Kobi) Shabtai issued a statement Thursday evening, according to which Superintendent Amichai Eshed, commander of the Tel Aviv district, was immediately removed from his position and will move to a staff position as head of the training department. However, immediately after the announced change, Eshed was asked to command the investigation of the Dizengoff terror attack and the Attorney General said the punitive removal of Eshed by Ben Gvir was illegal.
For now, there has been no replacement named to fill Eshed's shoes in command of the district, where most of the large and violent demonstrations have been taking place recently amid the push for judicial reform. Ben Gvir was unhappy with the refusal of Eshed to have his forces quash the protests which have been growing larger and more disruptive, although still far from violent and demanded Tel Aviv's top cop be transferred.
Channel 12 reporting Itamar Ben Gvir just fired the Tel Aviv District Commander in Israel Police, with immediate effect
— Neri Zilber (@NeriZilber) March 9, 2023
Police top brass have (on the whole) ignored Ben Gvir's demands for harder hand against anti-govt protestors & East Jerusalem. This is extremely worrying.
According to reports, if the order stands to remove Eshed, the head of the training department, Superintendent Avshalom Peled, will be appointed to the position of deputy commissioner. Perhaps in an effort to provide cover for a politically punitive move, according to a joint announcement by Ben Gvir and Shabtai, this is a decision by the Commissioner alone, which received the approval of the Minister of National Security.
Ben Gvir commented on the dismissal of the head of Eshed from his post: "For the journalists' many assumptions and questions, this is a pre-planned round of appointments and it is not a dismissal." The announcement stated: "The Minister of National Security, MK Itamar Ben Gvir, accepted the recommendation of Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai on the first round of appointments, out of a series of rounds that will take place in the near future."
Israel’s Attorney-General has frozen the removal of Tel Avi Police Commander Ami Eshed. Rafical police minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced his transfer and his displeasure that the police weren’t tough enough on Isrelis peotesting against the radical legal overhaul yesterday. 1/2 https://t.co/xjCsHRhzrA
— Irris Makler (@irris) March 10, 2023
The Tel Aviv district is one of the most prestigious in the Israeli Police, it has produced quite a few commissioners since command of the district confers prestige and an advantage in competing for commissions. But now Eshed was moved to command the police academy, and in fact, was removed from a prestigious operational position to an instructional position; many assume his stamp of approval on key roads being blocked by the protesters is part of the reason he is now being removed.
The Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the police on Thursday in closed conversations, saying that they are not following his instructions during the ‘day of protest’ organized against the judicial reform. "They didn’t follow my instructions throughout the day, both in the airport and on the Ayalon highway. The police do what they want. It won't last like this."
Ben Gvir's words referred to the policy of containing the police in the blockades that were in place today in Ayalon and the airport.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he will remain in Italy until Sunday, as scheduled.
— BICOM (@BritainIsrael) March 10, 2023
Israeli officials remain braced for further escalations in the run-up to and during Ramadan, which this year begins on March 22nd and partially coincides with Pesach. https://t.co/0GyqeI5fNb
The Prime Minister's son, Yair Netanyahu, tweeted Thursday evening also against the police ranking officers and wrote: "What is happening here in the last few weeks is a rebellion against all intents and purposes on behalf of the senior police officers."
