BySARAH BEN-NUNJUNE 10, 2026 18:11Updated: JUNE 10, 2026 18:55Deputy attorneys-general Gil Limon and Sharon Afek warned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir that his repeated refusal to advance senior police appointments raises concern of a systematic misuse of his powers that could harm police independence.In a sharply worded letter to Ben-Gvir on Wednesday, the two senior Justice Ministry officials asked him to urgently explain why he has not approved two additional appointments recommended by Police Commissioner Daniel Levi and the Israel Police senior command staff.The letter concerns Supt. Reut Rosenberg, an officer in the police legal advisory division, and Ch.-Supt. Itzik Alfasi, whose appointment as spokesman for the Investigations and Intelligence Division was reportedly blocked.According to Limon and Afek, Rosenberg was recommended in August 2025 for promotion to chief superintendent and for appointment as head of the torts section in the police legal advisory division. The recommendation was later submitted to the Attorney-General’s Office.Despite that, they wrote, some nine months passed without Ben-Gvir approving her promotion or providing a substantive explanation.Rosenberg has since filed an administrative petition against Ben-Gvir over his failure to advance her promotion.High Court hearing on petitions seeking the dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, April 15, 2026. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)No legal obstacle to complete appointment, deputy A-Gs argueAfter reviewing the recommendation, Limon and Afek wrote that there was not only no legal obstacle to completing the appointment, but that Ben-Gvir was required to do so unless he could present weighty reasons that had not yet been provided.The second case concerns Alfasi, who was reportedly recommended by the commissioner and senior command staff in August 2025 to serve as spokesman for the Investigations and Intelligence Division.According to the letter, Ben-Gvir refused to sign off on the appointment, and Alfasi was eventually moved to another position in the police spokesperson’s unit.The deputies said the two cases could not be viewed in isolation.“These cases once again raise a grave concern that these are not isolated or exceptional incidents, but systematic conduct in which the appointment authority entrusted to you is being misused in relation to sensitive police units that deal with law enforcement,” Limon and Afek wrote.Even when the appointments are ultimately completed after court intervention, they warned, the damage may already have been done.“The very fact that police officers in sensitive positions are required to initiate legal proceedings against the national security minister because of unlawful action taken by him creates a chilling effect and may negatively affect the independence of the police,” they wrote.High Court didn't order Netanyahu to fire Ben-GvirThe warning comes against the backdrop of a broader legal battle over Ben-Gvir’s authority over the police and his alleged interference in operational and personnel decisions.In April, the High Court of Justice stopped short of ordering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire Ben-Gvir. Instead, it gave binding force to a framework meant to limit the minister’s involvement in police matters.The court also issued an interim order requiring that sensitive senior appointments in law enforcement, from the rank of chief superintendent and above, be advanced only according to the recommendation of the senior police command staff, with prior notice to the attorney-general.The new letter also points to earlier appointment disputes in the Investigations and Intelligence Division, including the cases of Rinat Saban and Ruti Hauslich.In Saban’s case, the Jerusalem District Court ordered Ben-Gvir to approve her promotion after finding that his prolonged refusal to do so was unlawful and raised a real concern of extraneous considerations. Saban’s case became one of the central examples cited by the attorney-general in the broader High Court petitions over Ben-Gvir’s conduct toward the police.Hauslich, a senior officer in the Investigations and Intelligence Division, also petitioned the Jerusalem District Court after Ben-Gvir delayed her promotion. Ben-Gvir later agreed to sign off on the promotion after the court hearing.The attorney-general’s office has argued in past proceedings that the minister may set general policy for the police, but may not use his authority to intervene in specific investigations, operational policing, protest enforcement, or sensitive appointments in a way that could undermine professional independence.Ben-Gvir has repeatedly rejected the allegations against him, arguing that he is not a “rubber stamp” for police appointments and that he is entitled to review senior appointments before approving them.Follow us on Google