Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara sharply accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of improperly and politically intervening in police appointments, after her deputies concluded that he unlawfully delayed the promotion of a senior investigations officer despite unanimous backing from the police command.
In an unusually blunt letter sent to Ben-Gvir, the attorney-general’s deputies wrote that the minister’s continued refusal to approve the promotion of Supt. Ruti Hauslich to head of investigations in the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division, raised a “grave concern” of foreign and political considerations guiding the decision, in violation of administrative law and binding High Court of Justice rulings.
According to the advisory opinion, the recommendation to promote Hauslich was transferred to Ben-Gvir by senior police officials as early as July 2025, following the endorsement of Police Commissioner Daniel Levy and the force’s top command staff.
Despite repeated inquiries by the legal advisers of both the police and the National Security Ministry, the minister refrained for months from providing any substantive explanation for the delay.
The deputies noted that the attorney-general’s office first approached Ben-Gvir on the matter in October 2025, with multiple follow-ups through December.
Ben-Gvir did not respond until January, raising vague claims linked to Hauslich’s professional conduct during Knesset discussions – claims that, according to the letter, were never raised with the police commissioner and were unsupported by any disciplinary findings.
“Taken together, these circumstances establish a heavy concern that the reasons now presented constitute an ex post facto [retroactive] cover for a decision rooted in foreign considerations,” the deputies wrote. They emphasized that Ben-Gvir was not empowered to act as a “super-commissioner,” nor to sanction police officers by freezing promotions based on disagreement with professional positions expressed in parliamentary forums.
The opinion further warned that the Investigations and Intelligence Division is a uniquely sensitive unit, one in which HCJ has repeatedly ruled that the minister is barred not only from intervening in specific probes but also from shaping investigative policy.
The deputies argued that misuse of appointment powers in such units amounts to a circumvention of High Court jurisprudence and exceeds ministerial authority.
The letter also pointed to what it described as a troubling pattern, noting that this was not the first instance in which Ben-Gvir had declined to advance a female officer within the investigations branch, despite professional recommendations, while other officers – some even with disciplinary or criminal histories – were promoted.
Beyond the individual case, the attorney-general’s office warned that the conduct sent a chilling message to police investigators working on politically sensitive matters, including corruption and speech-related offenses. Advancement, the letter cautioned, could become contingent on alignment with the minister’s political preferences rather than professional merit.
The deputies demanded that Ben-Gvir reach an immediate, reasoned decision on Hauslich’s appointment in accordance with administrative law, HCJ precedent, and the principles governing his relationship with the police – and that he cease using appointment powers as a tool of political influence.
Ben-Gvir: 'A-G's advice not accepted'
Ben-Gvir dismissed the warning within hours, writing in a brief public response: “I heard you, Gali. Your advice was not accepted. We are continuing with full force.”
The clash adds to mounting tensions between the attorney-general and the national security minister, particularly over Ben-Gvir’s attempts to expand political control over policing priorities and personnel.
In recent months, Baharav-Miara and her deputies have repeatedly cautioned that such interventions threaten the independence of the Israel Police and risk undermining its character as a non-partisan state institution – warnings that Ben-Gvir has increasingly chosen to ignore.