Erdan: I won't allow legislation that could harm police work
Public security minister, in charge of the Israel Police, calls to calm down tensions, maintain checks and balances and protect state institutions as members of his own party, Likud, propose bills that could weaken the police.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan stressed Tuesday he "will not allow the advancement of legislation that could harm police work."
With that in mind, Erdan, who is the minister in charge of the Israel Police, added that "Police should focus on the tasks assigned to them by law and not get carried away with advice from external elements. Such advice could hurt public trust in law enforcement authorities."
"We're in the midst of sensitive and tense days. Alongside the tensions on the northern and southern borders, we're also experiencing tensions between the institutions of democracy," Erdan continued, adding, "This is the time for all of us to stop, take a step back and regain our composure."
Erdan stressed the checks and balances between the different branches of government must be maintained. He explained that "in the Israeli democracy, there is great importance to the Israel Police being an independent and impartial body. At the same time, in the Israeli democracy, the legislative branch is also required to supervise the executive branch and, among others, the Israel Police as well."
Nevertheless, he added, "We shouldn't categorically rule out every legislation concerning the police. I too believe there are issues that desperately need the legislature's actions to remedy what needs fixing."
"We must remember that at the end of the day, in both branches there are excellent people who just want the good of the country," he stressed.
The public security minister argued that "to avoid being dragged into unnecessary—and unprecedented—confrontations during this sensitive time, there is great importance to the issues on the agenda and the discussion surrounding them to be done professionally, while maintaining mutual respect and safeguarding the status of state institutions and of democracy."
He advised against "being dragged into confrontations in the media" and urged to "act to calm down tensions."
In light of recent bill proposals that could hurt or weaken the Israel Police, a series of former senior security officials—including major generals and IDF chiefs, former police commissioners and senior police commanders, and top position holders in the Shin Bet and the Mossad—came out in support of Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh.
The movement Commanders for Israel's Security issued a statement backing Alsheikh and the law enforcement system "in light of the repeat attacks against the Israel Police commissioner and the law enforcement system."
One of the latest proposals sought to reduce the police commissioner's salary, which former commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky dubbed as a move "meant to critically hurt the law enforcement system."
