The row over the dismissal of Tel Aviv Police District Commander, Amichai Eshed took a new turn when Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara stepped in to ‘freeze’ the process.
Mr Eshed (pictured) was initially dismissed following reports the Commander had told Israel Police Commissioner, Kobi Shabtai that he was unfit to lead the police and he was making a mistake he would regret, in a call between the two before the decision was made public.
Excerpts from the call were widely reported in the media, citing unnamed persons familiar with the “difficult” exchange.
Mr Eshed was ordered removed from his position in an announcement by Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, who said the Senior Commander would be assigned to a new role as head of the police’s Training Department with immediate effect.
The announcement came hours after the Minister, a far-right lawmaker, reportedly raged over the police’s restrained conduct at a major anti-Government protest in Tel Aviv and near Ben-Gurion International Airport.
However, the Attorney General questioned the legality of the decision which is widely seen as politically motivated.
Six serving Deputy Commissioners have called for Commissioner Shabtai’s resignation over his handling of the situation.
Senior police sources cited by the media said the police leadership “has lost trust in the Commissioner”.
One unnamed source said there was no reason to remove Mr Eshed from his role “but Shabtai despises him and despised him from day one”.
Mr Shabtai defended the move to transfer Eshed, saying the decision to remove him as Tel Aviv District Commander was the result of “conduct both on a personal level in joint discussions and in behaviour in the field”.
Jerusalem, 11 March 2023
