Israel passes law redrawing lines of authority over police misconduct cases

The Knesset early Thursday approved a law restructuring Israel’s Police Investigations Department (PID), shifting oversight of police misconduct away from the State Attorney’s Office and placing it under the Justice Ministry.

The legislation passed in its second and third readings by a vote of 43-39 and is considered part of the government’s broader judicial reform-related legislation.

The law removes the Police Investigations Department (PID), Israel’s internal affairs unit responsible for investigating allegations of police misconduct, from the State Attorney’s Office, Israel’s central public prosecution authority.

It establishes the PID as an independent body within the Justice Ministry, with its own budget and expanded authority to investigate and to make prosecutorial recommendations in cases involving police officers, while remaining subject to the general legal guidelines issued by the Attorney General and State Attorney.

Sponsored by Likud MK Moshe Saada, a former senior official in the department, the legislation introduces a new process for appointing the PID director through a dedicated selection committee and establishes a coordinating official responsible for resolving disputes between the PID and other investigative or prosecutorial authorities, including authority in certain circumstances to transfer cases between agencies.

The law also transfers certain prosecutorial decision-making powers currently held by the Attorney General or State Attorney in cases handled by the PID to the department’s director. Appeals against decisions to close cases will be reviewed by the new coordinating official.

Supporters of the law argue that the changes will strengthen accountability and address longstanding structural deficiencies.

“Today we are making a reform,” Saada said following the vote. “This is a good day for the entire people of Israel, in which we are fixing the law enforcement system. There will be no more criminals in the service of the law, there will be no people above the law. In the State of Israel, everyone will be equal before the law.”

Saada argued that the current system is dysfunctional and has “deviated from its ethical path,” adding that the reform “will restore public trust in the judicial system.”

The bill’s explanatory notes cite reports by the State Comptroller, the Public Defender’s Office and a government-appointed team that identified shortcomings in the handling of police misconduct cases. According to supporters of the proposal, the PID’s previous subordination to the State Attorney’s Office created structural difficulties due to the close working relationship between prosecutors and police.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also welcomed the legislation, describing it as a democratic reform and praising Saada for advancing it through the Knesset.

Political Reactions

Opponents, however, warn that the law could politicise investigations involving police officers and weaken independent oversight of law enforcement.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has repeatedly criticised the legislation, arguing that it would place law enforcement bodies under greater political influence.

“Instead of independent law enforcement, we will get law enforcement that is heavily influenced by political interests and the needs of the incumbent government and the ministers themselves,” Baharav-Miara said at a recent legal conference.

She warned that increased political influence over the department’s leadership could discourage investigations involving government officials and their associates while increasing the risk of selective enforcement.

State Attorney Amit Isman similarly expressed concern that the reform could undermine the department’s professional independence and its ability to resist political pressure.

Opponents have indicated they will petition the High Court of Justice, Israel’s supreme judicial review court, to overturn the new law.

The government has advanced several legislative proposals in recent years, including changes to the judicial appointments process, a proposal allowing the Knesset to override certain High Court rulings, limits on the court’s use of the reasonableness doctrine, and changes to the appointment process for legal advisers in government ministries.

Supporters say they want to end years of judicial overreach, while critics describe the proposals as undermining judicial independence.