A senior police commissioner, part of the national command echelon of the Israel Police, was detained for questioning on Wednesday night as part of an investigation by the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigative Department (PID) into alleged misuse of authority and breach of trust.
The move ignited a political firestorm after Likud MK Tally Gotliv publicly revealed his identity on Thursday, in defiance of a court-issued gag order.
Reportedly, the commissioner was attending a seminar for senior police officers in Jerusalem when PID investigators approached him at the conclusion of the event and asked that he accompany them for questioning.
According to reports, the interrogation concerns alleged professional misconduct, though the precise nature of the suspicions remains under judicial confidentiality.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit), who previously promoted the officer, expressed his support, emphasizing the commissioner’s right to the presumption of innocence.
MK Gotliv breaches court order, calls police probe 'witch-hunt'
Police officials confirmed that PID and the prosecution are jointly overseeing the inquiry. Shortly after the investigation became known, Gotliv published the officer’s name on the X/Twitter, openly violating the gag order protecting his identity.
In her post she wrote: “This is not a probe into duty, but a witch-hunt driven by political motives.”
Her post accused Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and PID head Keren Bar-Menachem of pursuing a politically motivated case, calling the probe “a baseless witch-hunt.”
The exposure drew immediate criticism from across the political spectrum and reignited debate over parliamentary immunity and responsible use of free speech.
Gotliv’s post may have breached both the court restrictions and the Knesset’s code of ethics, though as an MK she enjoys parliamentary immunity from prosecution.
As of Thursday, the investigation remains ongoing, and the officer has not been charged.