Bar-Lev tries to prevent ouster

After hearing with Dichter Public Security Minister says he will announce decision on Bar-Lev's futures in the coming days.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Cmdr. Uri Bar-Lev, head of the police's Southern District, attended a hearing at the office of Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Sunday, the outcome of which is supposed to decide his fate on the force. The Southern District chief was summarily dismissed by Israel Police Insp.-Gen. David Cohen in late August, after Bar-Lev, who holds two degrees, turned down Cohen's offer of a study leave. At first, Dichter distanced himself from Cohen's decision, but days later he called a hearing to decide Bar-Lev's future. During Sunday's meeting, Dichter spoke little, and said he would announce his decision on Bar-Lev's futures in the coming days. Bar-Lev does not appear to hold high hopes that Dichter will reverse Cohen's decision, and has instructed his lawyers to petition the High Court of Justice over his dismissal. The case will be heard on December 12. Sunday's meeting was attended by Bar-Lev, his lawyers, former justice minister Yaakov Ne'eman, and an associate, Dichter, Dichter's legal adviser, and Dichter's bureau chief, Mati Gal. During the meeting, Dichter acknowledged Bar-Lev's achievements as Southern District commander. Bar-Lev's lawyers had previously asked the minister why he glowingly described Bar-Lev as an outstanding officer before proceeding to back Cohen's decision to fire him. The lawyers added that the role of the public security minister was to critically monitor the actions of the Israel Police chief, yet Dichter had been quoted as saying that a police chief's decision would always trump the stance of a subordinate officer. On Sunday, the issue of a mysterious protocol of an emergency meeting held between Cohen and Bar-Lev arose. The two men met on August 25, and contradictory accounts have emerged. Bar-Lev claims he was not notified he would be fired during the meeting, and only found out about the decision through the media hours later, which quoted a statement released by Cohen. The inspector-general maintains that he had made it clear to Bar-Lev during the meeting that his career had ended. Bar-Lev had asked for a protocol of the meeting, a request approved by the High Court. Sources close to Bar-Lev say the protocol that reached Bar-Lev, which was typed from the hand-written original, had a number of sections missing, and a previously unseen conclusion added, all of which were made to appear as if Cohen had in fact notified Bar-Lev of the sacking before announcing it to the media. Bar-Lev's lawyers protested the unexplained changes, resulting in the state's representative conceding that errors had been made. The High Court had previously rejected Bar-Lev's request to obtain more internal police documents concerning his dismissal, saying that he had been provided with ample documentation to prepare for Sunday's hearing.