After National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir decided to temporarily appoint Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, his security secretary, to the position of acting IPS commissioner, the official camp responded to the decision on Saturday evening, saying that "the appointment, which was unilaterally agreed upon and contrary to the agreement with the prime minister, harms security and unity." The remarks were made just before the cabinet meeting that will be held tomorrow and which is expected to approve the appointment.
Ministers Ben-Gvir and Gantz. Leave politics aside, photo: Oren Ben Hakon and Yoav Dudkiewicz
Last Thursday, Netanyahu agreed with IPS Commissioner Kathy Perry to end her term, and it was also agreed that she would help find a suitable replacement. Senior IPS officials claimed that the agreement that she would help find a replacement was "throwing sand in the eyes of the public," and that "if the prime minister wanted to continue functional continuity, he had to extend her term."
It should be noted that the recommendations of the commission of inquiry established after the escape of the six prisoners from Gilboa Prison explicitly stated: "It is appropriate to refrain as much as possible from filling the position of Prison Commissioner by a substitute, especially for a prolonged period of time. At that point, there was unanimity on the part of all the witnesses before us who referred to it." The committee members added of their decision that "the appointing level must consider the damages that will surely be caused to the organization by the absence of a permanent commissioner over time."
Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, photo: uncredited
Meanwhile, the ministers are expected to approve tomorrow at the cabinet meeting to be held, which will mainly deal with approving the 2024 budget, the continuation of Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai's term. The state camp said it "welcomes the intention to extend the appointment of the police commissioner tomorrow at the cabinet meeting."
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