National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced he supports transferring civilian enforcement powers in Judea and Samaria from the IDF to the Israel Police, but is demanding the move be expanded. Ben-Gvir is asking to transfer the Judea and Samaria Border Police from the IDF to police authority, and wants the power to issue arrests and administrative detention orders moved from the defense minister to his own hands. According to Ben-Gvir, these tools should also be used against “anarchists and elements from anti-Zionist movements.”
“I am responding to Defense Minister Israel Katz’s call to transfer enforcement powers in Judea and Samaria from the IDF to the Israel Police,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement. “This is a significant step on the path to Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria! In order to advance implementation of the proposal, I demand that responsibility for the West Bank Border Police be transferred from the IDF to the Israel Police, in accordance with the coalition agreement that has been violated until now,” he continued.
“In addition, the authority for administrative arrests and administrative restrictions must be transferred from the defense minister and the IDF to the national security minister and the Israel Police,” Ben-Gvir said. “Until today, these powers have not been used against the anarchists and against elements from anti-Zionist movements against the State of Israel. The time has come to use these tools against the enemies of the state.”
“With the implementation of these steps, the Israel Police will be able to practically assume responsibility for the powers in Judea and Samaria,” he added.
The comments come in the wake of Defense Minister Yisrael Katz’s decision to promote the transfer of civil enforcement powers in Judea and Samaria from the IDF to the police. Katz instructed the IDF to prepare a detailed plan on the subject, in coordination with the Israel Police. According to the outline, the police are supposed to prepare to handle civil issues, while the army will focus on security missions – primarily the fight against Islamic terrorism and the protection of localities and borders.
The issue is not new: As early as November 2024, Katz announced that he would stop the use of administrative arrest warrants against Jews in Judea and Samaria, arguing that in cases of suspected criminal offenses, action should be taken through the criminal procedure or other preventive measures.