News brief Leading candidate for next police chief: 'I will obey court in constitutional crisis'

Yoram Sofer, widely seen as the leading candidate to become Israel's next police chief, clarified his stance in a potential showdown between the government and the Supreme Court on Monday, Ynet news reported.

During a ceremony, with current Police Director Kobi Shabtai and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir present, Sofer said: “The Israel Police is the executive branch for law enforcement, it is the authority to uphold the law anywhere and at any time, and hence I, as a police officer and commander in the organization, am subject to the law and court rulings.”

“Anyone who hints at a different course of action is harming the Israel Police; harms its authority, its legitimacy and public trust,” Sofer added.

Ben Gvir suggested last week that elected politicians alone should decide police policy. Sofer refused to answer a question about his position on the issue last week.