Ben Gvir’s Conduct in Police Matters May Have ‘Crossed the Line’: AG

The comments are cited in reports that were published late Wednesday amid an escalating spat with the far-right Otzma Yehudit MK and with the ruling coalition headed by Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The attorney general made the comments to the so-called ‘High Court of Justice’ in response to a petition by Ben Gvir this week demanding he be allowed independent counsel for petitions against ‘legislation’ expanding his ministry’s powers over the police and, against his decision to remove Tel Aviv District Police Commander Amichai Eshed from his post over the latter’s purported lenient treatment of protesters who blocked roads to demonstrate against the government’s ‘judicial’ overhaul plan.

In the document, cited by Hebrew media Wednesday, Baharav-Miara said recent events “raise real concerns that the minister’s conduct crossed the line.”

Ben Gvir, she said, “must avoid giving operational instructions to the police, directly or indirectly, even when they are given in the guise of policy instructions.”

The police officers and commanders in the field should have “independent and professional discretion to fulfill their duties,” said Baharav-Miara.