Israel's police chief Yaakov Schabtai has criticized plans to create a National Guard led by far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "An additional security agency, whose areas of responsibility and activities overlap with those of the Israeli police, is a decision that has dramatic consequences for the internal security of the State of Israel," he wrote in a letter to Ben-Gvir, several Israeli media reported on Sunday. The reasons for this "unnecessary" step are unclear to him. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has also reportedly raised concerns.
On Sunday, according to media reports, the cabinet cleared the way for the establishment of the National Guard. To finance the controversial project, the government approved the reduction of the budget of all ministries, as several Israeli media reported on Sunday. Accordingly, several ministers initially spoke out against it, but ultimately agreed at the insistence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The project should cost around one billion shekels (255 million euros), it said.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the move on Twitter as "ridiculous and despicable." The members of the government had voted for "a private army of thugs" - at the expense of other areas such as health, education and security. A former military chief of staff, MP Gadi Eisenkot, previously spoke of a "serious incident that destabilizes the principles of the use of force in the country and endangers the country."
According to Ben-Gvir's plans, the unit would work in parallel with the police and military and deal with "civil unrest" nationwide. Critics warn that he could use the force of around 2000,<> forces against anti-government demonstrators or the Palestinian and Arab population.
Ben-Gvir had threatened to leave the government if Netanyahu suspended the controversial judicial reform after months of mass protests. In order to avert his resignation, the head of government assured him of the National Guard he wanted.