Summary
Amendment No. 37 to the Police Ordinance, passed 28 December 2022, subordinating the Israel Police to the Government and the Minister of National Security, who sets police policy, priorities and general investigations policy, which Adalah’s Discriminatory Laws Database presents as a politicisation of the police enacted under the Likud-Jewish Power coalition agreement to give Itamar Ben-Gvir direct control (Discriminatory Laws Database, lines 394-490).
Details
- New s.8B: the police operate under the authority of the Government, and the Minister is in charge of the police on behalf of the Government. New s.8C: the Minister sets policy and general principles of operation, including priorities, work programs and the execution of police-budget powers, and supervises police activity and readiness (lines 419-431).
- New s.8D: the Minister may set general investigations policy, including essential priorities, after hearing the Attorney General and consulting the Police Commissioner and investigation officials, without diminishing the police’s duties on investigations or cases, including the s.59 Criminal Procedure Law duty to investigate a known offence (lines 433-439).
- Adalah records that Ben-Gvir had been indicted more than 50 times and convicted on 12 charges, in 2007 of supporting a terrorist organization and inciting racism, and quotes his August 2023 statement: “My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs. The right to life comes before freedom of movement.” (lines 443, 453).
- The entry gives two different months for Ben-Gvir taking office — December 2022 at line 451 and November 2022 at line 453 — recorded as printed on the source page, not resolved (lines 451-453).
- Legal challenge: HCJ 2985/23, High Follow Up Committee et al. v. the Knesset et al.; Adalah petitioned on 17 April 2023, the petition was joined with four others (HCJ 8987/22; 99/23; 179/23; 532/23), and the Supreme Court issued an order nisi on 18 June 2023 (lines 457-459).
Related pages
Discriminatory Laws Database, Adalah, Knesset, Israeli Supreme Court, Likud