New ‘Israeli FBI’ police commander appointed, will run PM’s probes
He replaces Roni Reitman, who was considered a top officer, but was involved in a sexual harassment scandal.
By YONAH JEREMY BOBUpdated: MARCH 16, 2018 01:48Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reads from his speech in Knesset on March 12, 2018.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Yigal Ben-Shalom was appointed on Thursday as the new head of Lahav 433, referred to as “the Israeli FBI,” which handles some of the most high-profile cases – including investigating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged public corruption.Ben-Shalom’s appointment became official when Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan accepted the recommendation of Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Roni Alsheich and Police Investigations head Asst.-Ch. Gadi Sisso that he be given the prestigious spot out of a pool of several high-ranked candidates.As part of the appointment, in which he beat out at least two top officers involved in the Netanyahu interrogations, Ben-Shalom, 53, was promoted from deputy chief to the rank of assistant chief.Previously, Ben-Shalom headed the police’s international investigations unit and served as deputy chief of Lahav 433 for two years. Prior to that, he filled a number of roles relating to investigations and police intelligence in both the southern and central police units.He replaces Roni Reitman, who was considered a top officer, but was involved in a sexual harassment scandal.Though Alsheich tried to let Reitman remain in his role heading Lahav 433, eventually a petition filed with the High Court of Justice forced Alsheich to remove Reitman, who is expected to finish his police career in a back-office supervisory job.Reitman’s predecessor, Menashe Arbiv, also ran into legal troubles and was forced to resign in 2014.In February, Arbiv was convicted in a plea bargain of failing to report that Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto offered him an NIS 60,000 bribe to thwart the criminal case against the famous rabbi.Ben-Shalom has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Middle East studies, is married and has two children.
