Police chief demands Ben Gvir retract High Court claim he ordered force on Haredi protesters

Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy's office on Monday publicly demanded that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir retract a High Court filing accusing Levy of ordering violence against Haredi protesters.

Ben Gvir has not backed down. He said he stands by his account and has evidence for it, according to Srugim.

The filing, submitted by Ben Gvir's attorney, Ze'ev Wolf, asks the High Court of Justice to cancel an interim order that limits the minister's involvement in how police use force against civilians. In it, Ben Gvir claims Levy ordered exceptional force against Haredi demonstrators. He says a remark was relayed to him in which Levy allegedly said he "wants to see blood," according to Walla.

The minister also alleges that Levy told field officers to use batons and stun grenades before the protests began. He accuses the commissioner of enforcing the law differently against Haredi demonstrators than against other groups, of breaking the chain of command, and of removing commanders from their posts without his approval. These are the minister's allegations. The court has made no findings on them.

"Baseless and outrageous"

The commissioner's office rejected the account in a statement. It called the claim that Levy ordered violence against Haredi protesters for improper motives, or against the law and police procedure, "baseless" and "outrageous."

The statement went further. It described the allegations as "serious, delusional and shameful," and accused the minister responsible for the police of smearing officers and commanders instead of backing them. It said the accusation harms thousands of police officers, Border Police fighters, National Guard members and volunteers.

"The Israel Police is not a tool for political attack," the statement said. It added that the police are non-political and act equally toward all Israelis. It ended with a direct call: police command and officers urge Ben Gvir to retract "the offensive statement" about all police personnel, "and the sooner the better."

A feud that has been building

The exchange came after a day of trading accusations. Earlier on Monday, Levy's office issued an unusual statement saying interested parties were trying to damage the commissioner through anonymous briefings to the media attributed to "senior police officials." People close to Levy told Walla a political figure was behind the briefings. Ben Gvir, for his part, has said Levy's conduct changed after the results of the most recent election, per Walla.

The dispute has run for some time over appointments, budgets and the handling of demonstrations. It is now being fought in the open, and in court, over the commissioner's own conduct.

Israel Hayom reported that the two men are out of contact while both are abroad, Ben Gvir in Georgia and Levy in Morocco. It said the commissioner was caught off guard by the minister's filing. People around Levy told the paper that "it is all lies and falsehood." Former commissioner Moshe Karadi was quoted by Israel Hayom as saying Ben Gvir "continues his campaign to destroy the police."

The High Court has not yet ruled on the request to lift the interim order.