Many senior officers from the top ranks of the Israel Police and Israel Prison Service attended National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s 50th birthday party on Saturday night, despite harsh political criticism claiming the move was inappropriate for uniformed officials.
Among the commanders who arrived at the party in Emunim were Jerusalem District Commander Avshalom Peled, who is expected to leave the police after completing his term; Judea and Samaria District Commander Moshe Pinchi; Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi; Superintendent Sami Marciano, Ben-Gvir’s security secretary; Central District Commander Amir Cohen; and others.
Alongside politicians and figures identified with the Otzma Yehudit party, controversial personalities were also seen at the event, including Mordechai David, Yoav Eliasi (“The Shadow”), and far-right activist Bentzi Gopstein.
Before the event, Police Commissioner Danny Levy approved senior officers from the national general command staff to attend the party. In his notice, the commissioner clarified that police officers or commanders who are not part of the national general command staff were prohibited from attending.
The national general command staff includes 27 senior officers, among them four deputy commissioners and 23 commanders. However, Maariv learned that many officers did not receive invitations and in any case had no intention of attending. According to an invitation sent to police officers and commanders, Ben-Gvir was celebrating his birthday at Villa Space in Moshav Emunim.
Commissioner Levy, who reviewed the invitation and decided that only officers from the national command staff could attend, reasoned that they are already considered the most senior figures in the organization and that only one of them could eventually be appointed police commissioner, meaning their attendance would not affect them or their relationship with the minister.
To prevent other officers from attending, police distributed an explicit message: “This evening, a birthday celebration will take place for Minister Ben-Gvir. The minister invited members of the senior command forum, police officers, and commanders from the organization. According to the commissioner’s directive, only members of the national senior command forum may attend the birthday celebration. Officers and commanders who are not members of the forum and were invited are not permitted to attend. Please pass on the directive to the last officer.”
During the party, the minister’s wife, Ayala Ben-Gvir, presented him with a cake decorated with a drawing of a hanging noose, on which was written: "Mazal tov to Minister Ben-Gvir, sometimes dreams come true."
Public figures react to Ben-Gvir's party
The attendance of senior police and prison officials at a politically charged event sparked a storm of reactions.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett responded: “The tens of thousands of dedicated and good police officers of Israel deserve honest, efficient, and statesmanlike leadership that sets a personal example. I announce: Any public servant, in any role and in any government organization, who violates their duty of loyalty to the state and exploits their position in a political and non statesmanlike manner, will be dismissed immediately.”
Ben-Gvir replied: “Naftali has no friends and no working relationships either, send him a cake from the party.”
Democrats chairman Yair Golan wrote: “This disgrace, in which a police commissioner sends commanders to humiliate themselves at a political celebration while crime is raging, is a spit in the face of the citizens. Whoever prefers cheap flattery to a criminal minister over public security is unfit to command.”
MK Naama Lazimi added, “Ben-Gvir is a serial offender and vindictive man with the codes of a crime organization, like quite a few in this government. Police commanders who are supposed to arrest criminals and fight crime have learned that flattery and loyalty to the minister are more important than fulfilling their public and national duty. These are not people who should remain in their positions the day after, not out of revenge, but because the citizens of this country deserve public servants who are good and loyal to their mission, who will repair rather than cover up and destroy.”
The Abraham Initiatives said in response: “On the day the number of murder victims in crime within Arab society crossed 100 since the start of the year, an all-time record, the national security minister should have gone to the media and provided answers about his criminal policy of neglect. Senior police officials should have convened an emergency assessment and presented the public with an urgent plan to eradicate crime. Instead, the minister is celebrating his birthday tonight together with all the commanders. The public no longer has reason to be surprised, only to fight with all its strength for the right to live.”