National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday asked the Jerusalem District Court to stay the execution of a ruling ordering the promotion of police officer Rinat Saban, as he prepares to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
In a filing, Ben-Gvir said he intends to challenge last week’s ruling, which ordered him to promote Saban and backdate her rank, arguing that the judgment is “exceptional and unprecedented” and that enforcing it now would cause irreversible harm to the chain of command in the Israel Police.
The request seeks to freeze implementation of the ruling pending the appeal, asserting that once a senior officer is promoted, the decision is practically impossible to undo, even if the Supreme Court later overturns the judgment.
The case centers on Saban, a senior police investigator who was passed over for promotion – despite having completed all professional requirements and receiving unanimous backing from police command – in a decision that petitioners argue was influenced by improper considerations on the part of the minister.
Saban’s petition was filed by herself, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel – a long-standing civic watchdog – and a group of former police commissioners and senior officers, and it has drawn unusually broad support.
Both the Attorney-General’s Office and the Israel Police have submitted filings backing her position and even requesting an interim order to freeze the situation pending a final ruling.
Saban, a 24-year veteran and a senior figure in the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division, was appointed in late 2024 to a role designated for the rank of chief superintendent and subsequently completed the required command course on April 28, 2025, with a high score.
Her two peers who took the course were promoted, but she was not, triggering controversy and a legal challenge.
The timing drew scrutiny because she had testified in criminal corruption cases, including Case 4000, and had previously been involved in investigations concerning senior political figures, although the ruling later noted that Saban had been a junior officer during those earlier investigations and had acted under instruction.
On Monday, the Jerusalem District Court, sitting as a court for administrative affairs, ruled that Ben-Gvir must promote Saban and backdate the promotion to April 28, 2025, concluding that the minister’s prolonged refusal to do so was unlawful, tainted by extraneous considerations, and harmful to police independence.
Judge rules Ben-Gvir’s refusal was driven by improper motivations
Judge David Gidoni wrote that there was cause to believe that Ben-Gvir’s refusal was driven by improper motivations connected to Saban’s involvement in sensitive investigations and that any further delay risked undermining public trust and the rule of law.
The court also ordered the minister to pay NIS 20,000 in compensation.
The ruling followed months of legal wrangling over Ben-Gvir’s authority to block promotions of specific officers, particularly those connected – even indirectly – to investigations involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has become one of several flashpoints in a broader confrontation between the political leadership and senior law enforcement officials.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly defended his decisions in such matters, saying he is exercising legitimate oversight and rejecting claims that they are politically motivated. State representatives, meanwhile, have insisted that police independence must be upheld and that promotion decisions should not reflect pressure or interference.
In his request on Tuesday, Ben-Gvir argued that the ruling improperly strips the minister of his statutory authority over police promotions, turning that authority, in his words, into a “rubber stamp.”
He claimed that the decision has far-reaching implications beyond the individual case, warning that it sets a precedent, allowing courts to compel promotions within the police force even when the administrative process has not been completed, and no final decision has been made by the authorized official.
Ben-Gvir further contended that the ruling undermines prior Supreme Court oversight of Saban’s conduct and disregards established case law calling for extreme judicial restraint when intervening in personnel decisions within security bodies, including the police. According to the filing, enforcing the ruling immediately would cause irreparable procedural harm to the minister’s right to appeal.
By contrast, Ben-Gvir argued, delaying implementation would not harm Saban, since the ruling already provides that her promotion would be backdated if the appeal fails, preserving her rights and benefits retroactively.
The request also stresses that since Saban is currently serving as an assistant to the head of the police investigations division, delaying her promotion would not affect her practical authority or operational role.
A significant portion of the filing revisits a parallel controversy over Saban’s legal representation in the case.
Ben-Gvir also disputes how Saban was represented in the case, arguing that it is unclear whether she was allowed to use private legal counsel while serving in a sensitive police role. He says explanations offered only later in the proceedings – including claims of retroactive approval – should be examined by the Supreme Court before the ruling is implemented.
The minister’s request also cites a prior case from 2024 in which the same court granted an interim order freezing a promotion decision by Ben-Gvir, at the request of petitioners and with support from the attorney-general. In that case, the court ruled that maintaining the status quo was necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the police until the legal issues were resolved.
Ben-Gvir argued that applying a different standard now – compelling a promotion rather than freezing one – reflects an inconsistent approach to interim relief and strengthens the case for a stay pending appeal.
If the stay is granted, the promotion order will be frozen until the Supreme Court rules on Ben-Gvir’s appeal. If it is denied, the minister will be required to implement the promotion immediately, even as the appeal proceeds.