On video: Reception of Hamas terrorists in Israeli prisons/Photo: Police spokespersons
The appointment of Rabbi Gonder Kobi Yacovi as Acting Commissioner of the Prison Service by the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir put the top of the organization on alert when he already stated his intentions at the command staff meetings.
Yacovi, who previously served as Ben Gabir's security secretary, is clearly interested in making his mark in the coming months and achieving achievements in preparation for a possible run for a permanent appointment.
The burning issues that Yacovi will face seem to have never been so significant in organizational history.
The first is an unprecedented overcrowding of prisoners in the correctional facilities - from 16 thousand prisoners to 20 thousand at the outbreak of the war.
Even before the war, the IDF was required to provide solutions to the plight of incarceration and embarked on an orderly process to reduce the burden, but the widespread wave of arrests, mainly of Hamas terrorists, creates quite a headache for the top of the IDF who must provide solutions in a short period of time, while at the same time, the flow of detainees, both criminal And the security for the SBS facilities is increasing, even these days.
Acting SHBS Commissioner Kobi Yacovi/SHBS Spokesperson
One of the flags of Minister Ben Gabir was the adoption of the conclusions of the Ketbi Committee, the main purpose of which is to worsen the conditions of terrorists in Israeli prisons to the maximum.
About a year after his appointment to the position and despite his demand to promote the implementation of the recommendations, this was rejected, and it seems that even after the murderous massacre and the deterioration of the conditions of the security prisoners in recent months, it is not clear whether the day after, the conditions of confinement will not return to their original state.
At the same time, the price of overcrowding is also paid by the criminal prisoners and the solutions offered now provide a rather limited solution to the issue.
"Reducing the prison conditions of the security prisoners since October 7 to the minimum possible makes Yacovi's life easier," says a senior official of the organization.
"Half the work has already been done for him already during the time of Katy Perry (outgoing SHB commissioner - 2016). In order to please the minister, he may try to make it a permanent situation, but in the end he is a PO of the political echelon, so we may see all kinds of Point-of-care decisions regarding the issue of all kinds of specific prisoners, both security and criminal, who cause problems. To act against them, it is enough to send down a directive in the chain of command. The whole story now with Odeh Cotier, who was transferred to solitary confinement and all the sanctions he and his men received, is more or less a regular order of operations in the organization, except that this time We gave it a bigger PR."
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Noachba terrorists of Hamas in prison/Shevas spokesmen
Appointments and personnel
So as for the appointments, upon assuming the position of Commissioner, Yacovi announced that he would reinstate the organization's legal advisor Eran Nahon to his position. Nahon was actually already on his way out, after Perry announced the termination of his position last year, but this was supported by Minister Ben Gabir and is now returning for the senior position under Yacovi's direction. In addition, dozens of mid-level appointments, which Commissioner Peri asked to approve over the past year, were stalled due to a lack of agreement between her and Ben Gabir. These are quite a few core positions within the organizational structure. Now, the promotion bottleneck is expected to be released with dozens of interviews conducted by the new commissioner with the candidates for promotion, and the round of appointments is expected to begin in the near future.
Another challenge Yacovi faces is the recruitment of manpower. This is in view of the accelerated attrition following the war and the number of incarcerated people who, as mentioned, is increasing. Despite the increase in manpower in the last year, the new reality and the lack of clarity in the status of thousands of terrorists Hamas arrested in the last four months, the Shavas are required to increase their manpower and train them in a race against time.
However, the Israel Security Service is not alone, the police also launched a broad campaign to recruit police officers, and each body markets itself as more attractive.
Minister Itamar Ben Gabir/Flash 90, Yonatan Zindel
Yacovi did not grow up in the prison service but in the police.
He served as the commander of the Moriah station in the Jerusalem district and then as the commander of the Zion region until, as mentioned, he was appointed Ben Gabir's security secretary and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
In a conversation with Walla!, a former senior officer of the Shavas describes the mood in the organization due to the fact that an external appointment was made to the position of warden number 1: "At the moment, everyone is looking from the sidelines and waiting to see if there will be a closure of accounts.
Like any organization, I estimate that most of them will align, especially in the senior staff, to Yacovi's policy.
One of the advantages, and perhaps also one of the disadvantages, is that over the years the SBS has operated as a closed autonomy. What happens inside stays inside. Therefore, it is not certain that we will see a horizontal 'head-butting' like in the appointment of a commissioner, for example.
But Yacovi will have to create his own beehive, strengthen his position within the organization, and it is not impossible that he will actually promote people from the middle or even senior command staff who were in rivalry with Katy Perry."
Outgoing CBS Commissioner Cathy Perry/Official website, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Internal Security
Dealing with hostages and releasing terrorists
Here, too, the issue of the security guards imprisoned in anticipation of a possible deal places the Shavas in the event as the operative factor. "If you will, a transport system for prisoners from point A to point B," describes a former senior Shavas official.
"When the instruction is given - operations, I don't think that Yacovi can, even if Ben Gvir sits on his head, deviate, and even with a comma, in the procedure of releasing the terrorists in exchange for the kidnapped. This is an event of a political magnitude. That's why I don't foresee a change in this aspect either."
The Prisons Service responded: "With the arrival of the Commissioner of Prisons, Gonder Kobi Yacovi, he set before his eyes the advancement of government decisions, High Court decisions and professional reports. All for the safety and well-being of the staff, the values of the organization and its people, and strict custody safe and worthy of the prisoners. The round of appointments and placements in the organization will be made soon and will be made after a thorough consideration and familiarization of the commissioner's head with the commanders. The round will be made not as a work arrangement and the right officer for his position will be chosen based on professional considerations only. As for the decision regarding a deal to release terrorists - the SBS will act in accordance with the order of the political echelon Sources close to Minister Ben Gabir said
:
"In the budget for 2024, a budget increase of NIS 160 million was approved for the construction and establishment of approximately 1,000 additional prison cells.
This is alongside a budget increase for the staffing of 113 positions in the Kathryn unit and 30 positions in the intelligence division."
With reference to the conditions of the security prisoners, it is said in the minister's environment that he supports the implementation of the Ketbi Commission, but as is known, the issue depends on a cabinet decision and that his position regarding the deal of the kidnapped and the release of terrorists is known.
More on the same topic:
SHBS
Israel Prison Service
Security prisoners
Itamar Ben Gabir
Katy Perry
Kobi Yacovi