The Israeli government decided this Sunday April 2 after a heated debate the creation of a national guard which will exist alongside the police, in accordance with the promise made by Benyamin Netanyahu to the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir in exchange for the suspension of the reform of the judicial system.
Several ministers have shown their anger at the budget cuts to finance this national guard, reports our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michael Paul. But in the end, under pressure from the head of government Netanyahu, they voted to finance the project equivalent to 255 million euros.
The national guard will be made up of 1,800 police officers in charge of fighting against nationalist crimes, terrorism and will have the task of restoring order, particularly in Arab localities in Israel where crime is very high. This force should be placed under the direct command of ultra-nationalist minister Itamar Ben Gvir, but at the last moment Netanyahu decided to create a commission to examine this thorny issue. This committee will be made up of members of the Israeli security agencies “, according to the office of the Prime Minister.
” Ben Gvir’s private militia “, according to the opposition
Police officials are opposed to the creation of this national guard. The country’s attorney general sees legal obstacles to the move. The Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid denounces ridiculous and despicable projects of a government that he accuses of wanting to set up a militia at the service of the one he describes as a Tiktok clown. He believes that the government was cutting the budget of all the other ministries ” to fund Ben Gvir’s private militia “.
He is “ shocking ” of “ to think that a private militia would be trained by a minister who embarrasses us with his lack of understanding and who has been found guilty of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism ex-Minister of Public Security Omer Bar Lev wrote on Twitter. Itamar Ben Gvir was charged more than 50 times as a youth for inciting violence or hate speech, and convicted in 2007 of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism.
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