28% of Israeli Police Officers Have Left the Force Under Ben-Gvir: Report
Tel Aviv: According to a Haaretz report, roughly 28% of Israeli police officers have left the force since National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took office in December 2022.The figures reportedly emerged from closed-door meetings held amid a broader police staffing shortage. Despite an increase in recruitment, police stations and the traffic division still face a…
Tel Aviv: According to a Haaretz report, roughly 28% of Israeli police officers have left the force since National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir took office in December 2022.
The figures reportedly emerged from closed-door meetings held amid a broader police staffing shortage. Despite an increase in recruitment, police stations and the traffic division still face a shortfall of about 2,000 officers, as more than a quarter of new recruits have been assigned to the Border Police or the National Guard — a force under the National Security Ministry — rather than to regular police stations.
The National Guard, formally approved in 2023, has drawn political controversy, with critics describing it as a separate power base for Ben-Gvir, while the government defends it as a necessary step for internal security. A 2022 amendment to the Police Ordinance granted the national security minister expanded authority over police policy, a move that has also been challenged in Israel’s Supreme Court.
