A senior Israeli officer was arrested earlier this week for deliberately ignoring intelligence about violent attacks by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, to gain favour with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The Department of Internal Police Investigations, overseen by the Israeli Justice Ministry, requested a five-day extension of Avishai Mualem’s detention. However, the Jerusalem District Court released him to house arrest yesterday evening.
According to Haaretz, the Shin Bet security agency had repeatedly provided Mualem’s West Bank police unit with intelligence about Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, including acts of terrorism and an attack on an Israeli citizen.
Despite this, Mualem chose not to act on the information, claiming to investigators that there was insufficient evidence for arrests. The report suggests that Mualem’s inaction may have been an effort to secure a promotion from Ben-Gvir, under whose ministry the Israel Police operates.
Read: Israeli settlers, soldiers raid Joseph’s tomb
Mualem was detained on Monday alongside Israel Prison Service Chief Kobi Yaakobi and another unnamed officer, according to reports. Yaakobi, now under house arrest, is suspected of tipping off Mualem about the investigation. Mualem has also been accused of sharing classified information with Ben-Gvir.
Ben-Gvir, who promoted Yaakobi to prison service chief earlier this year further claimed the arrests were part of a political campaign led by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to undermine his authority.
Supporters of Mualem argue his decisions were consistent with Ben-Gvir’s policies and were documented appropriately, reported the Times of Israel.