Legislation8/14/2026

Katz Orders Preparations to Transfer Civilian Law Enforcement in Judea and Samaria to Police

Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF, together with the police and other bodies, to formulate a plan to transfer all law-enforcement powers in civilian matters involving the Israeli population in Judea and Samaria to the police. At this stage, this involves preparing a plan, not a transfer of powers that has already taken place.

Key facts

•Directive issued by Defense Minister Israel Katz
•The report was updated on August 14, 2026
•The IDF and Israel Police are formulating the plan
•A special police unit is planned
•The establishment of 104 new settlements was mentioned
•The police are short more than 1,000 authorized employees

What the Minister Ordered

The directive was issued following a discussion on Judea and Samaria attended by the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the heads of the Operations Directorate and the Intelligence Directorate, as well as additional commanders. Under the proposed framework, the police will establish a special unit, receive the necessary powers and budgets, and assume responsibility for civilian law enforcement relating to the settlements and Israeli settlers.

How Responsibilities Will Be Divided

The police already operate in Judea and Samaria alongside the IDF and handle, among other things, traffic offenses, violence, and environmental offenses. Under the plan, they are expected to receive full responsibility for civilian law enforcement involving Israelis. The IDF will continue to fight Palestinian terrorism, protect the borders, and defend the settlements against threats.

Why the Reform Was Proposed

Katz said that civilian law enforcement is not among the military’s primary missions and that it diverts the military from security matters. He linked the need for change to the expected increase in the number of settlers following decisions to establish 104 new settlements and formally regularize agricultural farms, as well as to the growing threats in the central sector. In his assessment, transferring these responsibilities is expected to strengthen governance, law, and order.

Legal and Practical Issues

The source does not identify a specific statute under which the transfer would be carried out and does not provide a timetable for its implementation. It states only that the government and the IDF are required to delegate to the police all powers necessary for the new duties. The media outlet also notes that the reform will reinforce the separation between the law-enforcement systems applying to Israelis and Palestinians and increase the burden on the police, which are short more than 1,000 authorized employees.

Political Response

Knesset Member Gilad Kariv of the Democrats party said that the directive contradicts Israeli and international law and the interests of national security. However, the article does not report any judicial review of the initiative or any official legal opinion confirming or refuting this position.

What this means for you

If the plan is approved and implemented, Israelis in Judea and Samaria will be required, in civilian matters—for example, traffic offenses, violence, or environmental offenses—to deal first and foremost with the police rather than the military. However, referral procedures and the powers of the relevant bodies have not yet changed: the source reports only a directive to prepare a plan and does not specify when it would take effect.

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