The appointment of Yaakov Shabtai as commissioner has been approved by the government

At noon (Sunday), the government unanimously approved the appointment of Chief of Staff Yaakov Shabtai, commander of the Border Police, as commissioner. The appointment will be valid for three years, and in special circumstances the ministers will be able to extend the appointment for another year.

Saturn said after the appointment: “I stand before you with reverence upon receiving such a large deposit. The police are an organization blessed with real human capital and dedicated to carrying out its mission. I will do everything in my power to prove that I am worthy of the binding status I have won.

“The directions of action of the Israel Police under my leadership will be the fight against crime and serious crime, uncompromising law enforcement against road bullying and the expansion of enforcement services in Arab society. The challenges are spread in all areas, the agenda frequently pushes the planned activity It is more important to us that you behave in a state-fair, equitable manner so that we receive legitimacy from the public in matters of conflict as well. “

“Our role as police officers is not just work, but a way of life of personal example,” added Saturn. “I will undertake to charge every police officer who acts in accordance with the law. In this context, I pledge that our police officers and our fighters will return to receive the public esteem they deserve.”

The incoming commissioner thanked Homeland Security Minister Amir Ohana: “I take full responsibility for leading the organization, while ruling law and order in an uncompromising manner. I intend to lead an organization that gives every law-abiding citizen that we are here for, that he receives the best service. Successful policing cannot exist in isolation from the community and its needs. “

Defense Minister Bnei Gantz said: “I would like to congratulate Chief of Staff Kobi Shabtai on his appointment as Police Commissioner, an appointment that I support and I have decided to promote it. I would like us to promote all professional appointments. There are 35 ambassadors, there is a lawyer and there are many positions that are unfortunately delayed. I protest this innocence as if ‘the Secretary of Defense is stopping things’. This political game is out of place when it comes to state affairs, and the appointment of the commissioner is such a matter.

“The State of Israel needs a permanent commissioner. Kobe Saturn is a worthy and good man who is in charge today. The police need a commander. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Chief of Staff Moti Cohen, who for the past two years has held the police on his shoulders despite all the difficulties and has done a good job overall. “Each of the government ministries – the Ministry of Defense and the IDF – will surely do whatever it takes to enable him to succeed in his position, and I wish him great success.”

Minister Yuval Steinitz also commented on the approval of the appointment of Superintendent Shabtai: “Carry out a comprehensive reform on the issue. This will determine the nature of the economy and society in Israel.”

Minister Ohana said: “The difficult budget year ahead of us will also force the police to adapt to the situation, but I have no doubt that the Israel Police has a person suitable for these challenges. It is you, Kobi. We will stand by you and congratulate you on every success.”

Superintendent Yaakov Shabtai, 56, married with three daughters (19, 23, 28), was born in Ashkelon and currently lives in Karkur. He is from a long-standing family that immigrated to Ashkelon in the 1950s from Iraq. Saturn knew his wife before the age of 18, when he was recruited as commander of an operational base in the Civil Guard and became the youngest police officer in the Israel Police at the time.

Saturn served in the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade and was discharged as a lieutenant colonel at the end of his service in 1987. In 1991 he enlisted in the Border Police (elite unit of the Border Police) and in 1992 became commander of the undercover unit in the Gaza Strip and its founders.

During the riots in the Gaza Erez checkpoint in July 1994, he was wounded by gunfire while trying to rescue a civilian who was trapped in the area. After medical treatment, he returned to the scene. He was decorated with the Israel Police’s exemplary decoration. B, established the Barak Unit – a unit for the fight against crime in the Tel Aviv District – and in 2001 was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of Staff and was appointed Commander of the Bethlehem Border Police. As part of his job, he was once again injured in an encounter with terrorists.

In 2002, Saturn was appointed officer of the Northern Border Operations Division. In one of the incidents, he chased a squad of terrorists who infiltrated the locality of Dagish and murdered the Gilboa Regional Council security patrolman – and was wounded by gunfire.

After Saturn ended his tenure as an AGM officer, he held many positions in the Border Police and the “Blue” police: Commander of the Iron Police, from there to the rank of Deputy Chief of Staff and Commander of the Armed Forces (Director of Coordination of Enforcement Operations). And three years later, in 2013, he was promoted to the rank of non-commissioned officer in the position of commander of the Sharon region, until in 2016 he was appointed commander of the Border Police.

Saturn headed the Border Guard during one of the most difficult periods – the Knife Intifada – during which several Border Police fighters were killed. The Minister of Internal Security, Amir Ohana, stated in a statement that “the Border Police has become, under his command, the most sought-after corps for service among young men and women in Israel, before all IDF units, in an unprecedented manner. “All of the above, combined with his vision for the Israel Police and his character traits, led me to the conclusion that he is the right person to lead the police and strengthen the public’s trust in it.”

Meanwhile, as part of the commissioner’s appointment saga, on December 6, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated a ceremony that did not appear on the government’s agenda to mark three years since Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. Netanyahu surprisingly invited US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to the ceremony.

It so happened that due to the fact that Netanyahu did not participate in the discussion on approving the commissioner’s appointment due to the Attorney General’s directive – he left the room with Friedman. According to ministers involved in the details, Netanyahu did a kind of exercise: he unexpectedly brought Friedman to a farewell ceremony. Appeared on the agenda distributed to the ministers – and the two left the place.