Legislation8/23/2026

High Court of Justice to Decide Whether to Freeze Appointment of Police Internal Investigations Department Chief Ahead of Elections

Justice Minister Yariv Levin intends to continue the process of selecting the head of the Police Internal Investigations Department—Mahash—during the election period. The High Court of Justice is hearing petitions seeking to strike down the new law and, at this stage, has only stated that the minister is expected to maintain the status quo until a decision is reached in the case.

Key facts

•Court: High Court of Justice
•Subject of the dispute: the new law concerning Mahash
•The law was passed by the Knesset in mid-June
•Initiator of the law: Likud Knesset member Moshe Saada
•Justice minister: Yariv Levin
•The case number and date of the decision are not specified in the source

What the New Law Changed

The law, which the Knesset approved in mid-June, removes Mahash, which was established 30 years ago, from the authority of the State Attorney’s Office and the attorney general, and places it under the justice minister’s control through a mechanism for appointing its leadership. The search committee consists of the Justice Ministry director general, a criminal lawyer, an expert with prosecutorial experience, and a representative of the Civil Service Commission. The bill was initiated by Likud Knesset member Moshe Saada and advanced by the government.

Why the Dispute Arose

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara agrees that changes are needed at Mahash but opposes the model that was adopted. In her view, the process creates points of political influence over appointments and dismissals precisely during the sensitive period before the elections, even though the incumbent head of Mahash remains in office and the department continues to operate. The petitioners fear that an appointment before the elections would enable the new leadership to alter the department’s personnel policy and professional policy in advance.

The Minister’s Position

Levin’s representative before the High Court of Justice, attorney Harel Arnon, argued that the search committee is not part of the government and that the approaching elections do not make the appointments political. According to the minister, the committee is independent, the appointments do not bind the next government or Knesset, and the law was enacted when the election date was already known.

What the High Court of Justice Said

In an interim decision, the High Court of Justice stated that the minister “can be expected” not to change the status quo until a decision is reached in the case. However, the material presented does not indicate that a formal order freezing the process was issued. Nor has a final decision yet been issued on the petitions seeking to strike down the law.

What this means for you

The High Court of Justice’s decision will determine whether the minister may continue the process of appointing the head of Mahash before the elections or whether the status quo will be maintained temporarily. The dispute is important to Israeli residents because Mahash investigates complaints against police officers, and the department’s management model could affect public confidence in the independence of such investigations. According to the source, at this stage no practical changes have been explicitly approved in a final judicial decision.

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