National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir decided on Thursday not to extend the term of Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai, in part due to the deep rift in relations between the two.
Because of this, the race for the job of the next police commissioner was, unofficially, opened. So, who are Ben-Gvir's candidates for the role of Israel Police commissioner after Shabtai leaves his role in January of 2024?
Yoram Sofer: Israel's next police chief?
Assistant-Chief Yoram Sofer serves as the commander of the coastal district and transferred to Israel Police from the Border Police. He first served as an operations officer in the southern district, in September 2006, Sofer became Ashkelon station commander before Beersheba station commander a year later.
In 2011, he was appointed Lachish region commander and served there until September 2013. Afterward, he was appointed commander of the Center for Police Studies. In 2015, he became head of the police department for the light rail in Tel Aviv.
In 2016, Sofer was appointed vice commander of the Judea and Samaria district. During his tenure, he commanded the police forces during the evacuation of Amona and the demolition of nine houses in Ofra. In February 2019 he was appointed commander of the southern district in the rank of Asst.-Ch. and in 2021 became commander of the coastal district.
Jerusalem's police chief to takeover Israel Police?
Assistant-Chief Doron Turgeman currently serves as the commander of the Jerusalem district. After his military service, he enlisted in the Israel Police and served as an intelligence and detective officer in the Zion region, then as the commander of a patrol unit at the Zion regional station, where as part of this command he was awarded an exemplary decoration in 1999, after climbing from a balcony along wall to the fourth floor and saving a girl who was about to commit suicide.
In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Chief-Superintendent and appointed head of the operations branch in the Jerusalem district. During the years 2010-2013, he commanded the Lod station. In his next position, he served as commander of the Netanya station. In 2015 he was appointed commander of the David area in the Jerusalem district.
In July 2017 he was promoted to the rank of Deputy-Chief and appointed commander of Kedem district. In January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Asst.-Ch. in preparation for his position as commander of the Jerusalem district starting from February of that year. Last February, Turgeman was summoned for an inquiry at Minister Ben-Gvir's office following clashes between protesters and the police near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home. However, the police commissioner backed up Turgeman.
Israel Police central district commander in the running
Assistant-Chief Avi Biton serves as central district commander. Biton joined the police in 1993 and began his career in the Jerusalem department's drug division and served as a detective, intelligence coordinator and operator of agents in the unit. In 2002, he was appointed commander of the Temple Mount unit, after which he performed a number of intelligence positions in the minority faction in the Jerusalem central division.
Between the years 2007-2010, he served as the head of the intelligence team at the Police Investigations Department. In 2010 he was appointed commander of the Holy Places Unit in the Jerusalem district. In 2013 he was appointed commander of David district. In 2016 he graduated from the National Security College and was appointed commander of the central division of the Tel Aviv district. In 2018, he was promoted to the rank of Deputy-Chief and was appointed commander of the Sharon district.
In 2020 he was appointed deputy commander of the central district. In May 2021 he was appointed head of the operations and policing department at the rank of Assistant-Chief, and in October 2021 he was appointed commander of the Central District. Recently, the name Biton also came up as a candidate to replace the commander of the Tel Aviv district, Asst.-Ch. Ami Eshed in his position. Biton's move to the Tel Aviv district would be a recognition of his qualities but will leave a void.
Southern district command Peretz Amar also considered
Assistant-Chief Peretz Amar, who serves as commander of the southern District, spent his regular service as a combat medic in the Border Police and in 1982 transferred to Israel Police. In 1986 he completed a police officer course and was appointed a medic officer. Later in his service, he served as the head of the Negev Traffic Bureau. In 1995 he was promoted to the rank of Chief-Superintendent.
He commanded three police stations in the southern district: the Ayarot station, the Dimona station and the Beersheba station. In 2006, he was appointed deputy commander of the Lachish region and then served as an operations officer of the southern district. In July 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Deputy-Chief and appointed commander of the Negev region.
In 2014 he was appointed deputy commander of the southern district. In December 2017 he was promoted to the rank of Assistant-Chief and appointed commander of the coastal district. In January 2021, he was appointed commander of the southern district. During the month of May 2021, as part of the Guardians of the Wall operation, he dealt with the violence in the Bedouin communities together with the southern district command.
We emphasize that although the minister claims that he is not yet dealing with a candidate for the commissions and that there are still about six months left until the decision on the matter is made, it's impossible to ignore the fact that Ben-Gvir is meeting with at least two former Assistant-Chiefs, Uri Bar-Lev and Shlomi Kaatbi. The two are not among the associates of the current commissioner.
We will add that among the names there are also candidates from outside the police, including a senior officer in the IDF at the rank of Brigadier-General as well as two retired police officers, whose case is secretly also being examined by the minister.