Deputy Police Commissioner Udi Ronen, who was slated to head the police’s new incitement unit, sent a scathing letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of criminal acts, including lying to the Supreme Court, and endangering the public by sabotaging the battle against terrorism.

His letter comes after the incitement unit, recently established by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was frozen due to pressure from Baharav-Miara, who submitted a legal opinion to the Supreme Court demanding that it be closed down.

Left-wing organizations submitted petitions to the Supreme Court against the unit, which was founded to counter incitement to terrorism on social media, claiming that the unit’s activities infringe on the right to free speech. Baharav-Miara supported their view, saying that citizens were being surveilled without “sufficient evidentiary basis,” which, apparently, in her view, is more important than protecting Israelis’ lives. Due to pressure from Baharav-Miara, Police Chief Danny Levy informed her in late March that he had decided to freeze the activities of the police incitement unit until he re-examines its operations.

The content of the letter was revealed by Kan News.

Ronen wrote: “Your office submitted a document to the Supreme Court that includes an entire section about me that is a complete lie—and you know it.”

“I am not asking to hunt protesters or to pursue anyone without cause. I am simply asking to expand monitoring of open online platforms to identify instances where individuals openly express support for terrorism.”

“The Attorney General’s deputies have repeatedly chosen to fuel and reinforce baseless media allegations against me, the Police Commissioner, the police force, and our work in combating incitement to terrorism.”

“The Supreme Court justices certainly never imagined that senior officials in the Attorney General’s office would construct an entirely false argument—knowingly—and present it to them as absolute, verified fact the day before the hearing.”

“Through a false blood libel, you turned me from a professional and diligent officer, a legal expert in terrorism and incitement, into an unprofessional, political appointee who is merely trying to satisfy the minister over the commissioner’s head.”

“All of this is extremely serious, including on the criminal level, as it raises concerns of breach of trust by senior officials and false representation—all with the intention to sabotage the fight against terrorism and the protection of the public.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)