Ben Gvir summons police to election briefing amid criticism

Just days before Israelis head to the polls, a single decision by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has set off a storm at the top of the Israel Police and law enforcement establishment. According to a report in Haaretz, the minister has summoned senior police command to an unusual meeting in his office tomorrow (Thursday) focused on the force's election-day preparations.

The surprise summons has drawn sharp criticism from senior figures in the system. Sources who spoke to Haaretz said Ben Gvir has avoided nearly all professional meetings in recent weeks in order to focus on his party's election campaign. Now, as he runs for office himself, officials in the system are voicing serious doubts about the professional nature of the gathering and warning against its use for political purposes.

Those invited to the closed-door meeting in the minister's office include the heads of the Operations Division and the Investigations Division, alongside the head of the police election administration. This comes just one week after Police Commissioner Danny Levy already convened a comprehensive readiness meeting with representatives of the Central Elections Committee, the IDF and the Shin Bet.

At the end of that meeting, the commissioner stated emphatically that "the police is apolitical" and even threatened to dismiss officers who express a political position. Levy's remarks came against the backdrop of the heightened sensitivity that marks election season, especially this year when the National Security Minister himself is running at the head of his party.

Ben Gvir's office responded: "There is nothing unusual here; it is the minister's duty to hold such a meeting. This has always been done, and if there is no proper preparation, the first person you will blame is the minister."

Tomorrow's planned meeting is expected to focus on police readiness for election day itself, including deployment of forces, securing polling stations and preventing irregular incidents. Still, the criticism among senior officials in the system centers on the timing and circumstances of the summons, with the minister perceived as having distanced himself from routine handling of professional matters in recent weeks.