The Knesset passed into law late on Wednesday night a highly controversial bill that places the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID) under the direct authority of the Justice Ministry, removing it from the State Attorney's Office.
The legislation was passed with 43 lawmakers in favor and 39 against after a lengthy plenum debate. It was sponsored by Likud MK Moshe Saada.
The PIID currently functions as an independent investigatory body within the prosecution service tasked with probing alleged criminal misconduct by police officers.
Critics argue that placing the PIID under the Justice Ministry could undermine the independence of investigators and prosecutors.
Senior Researchers from the Israel Democracy Institute, Guy Lurie, Yael Litmanovitz, and Amir Fuchs, have warned that the legislation could impair the ability to operate professionally and effectively, and weaken public trust in law enforcement authorities.
The legislation proposes establishing the PIID into what is said to be an “independent body within the Justice Ministry.”
Under the Justice Ministry, the body would be authorized to investigate and prosecute police officers for criminal offenses, including minor offenses.
The legislation also changes the mechanism for appointing and dismissing the head of the PIID through a five-member committee. The majority of the panel's members would be politically affiliated appointees. The justice minister would have substantive control over the committee.
The proposal also sets out to establish a reporting requirement under which the justice minister and the national security minister would submit periodic reports to the Knesset on the handling of complaints and offenses attributed to police officers.
A-G, State Attorney warn legislation may expose investigations to political influence
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman had issued in February a warning that the legislation risks exposing investigations into police misconduct to political influence at a time of mounting strain within Israel’s law enforcement system.
They argued that the proposed restructuring would create a parallel law enforcement authority operating outside the professional oversight of the attorney-general, raising the prospect of divergent enforcement standards and politically driven investigative priorities.
Supporters of the bill, including Saada – himself a former deputy head of the PIID – have argued that institutional separation is necessary to eliminate perceived conflicts of interest between prosecutors who rely on police investigators in criminal cases and a watchdog unit tasked with investigating those same officers. They have also criticized Baharav-Miara amid the government’s ongoing rift with her.
Saada said in the plenum that, “Today we are carrying out a reform,” adding that, “There will no longer be criminals serving within the law enforcement system.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sharply criticized the attorney-general after the bill’s passage, stating that, “It is very good that the PIID will no longer be under the control of a woman with no restraint, who does not hesitate to use any means in order to achieve her goals.”
Meanwhile, MK Gilad Kariv (The Democrats) warned that the legislation is “one of the most corrupt and dangerous pieces of legislation in the judicial overhaul.”
“The law will not help a single citizen who has been harmed by police violence or by the abuse of police powers,” he added.
“Its sole purpose is to deter police officers from fearlessly investigating corrupt politicians and criminals who maintain close ties with politicians, as we have seen in the circles surrounding Ben-Gvir and within various circles of the Likud party,” Kariv stated.
Government attempting to weaken A-G status
The timing of the legislation’s passage comes amid the government's ongoing attempts to weaken the status of the attorney-general. The A-G's role combines several functions: legal adviser to the government, interpreter of the law for the executive branch, representative of the state in court, head of the state prosecution system, and final authority on major criminal decisions involving senior public officials.
The attorney-general has been considered an independent gatekeeper whose legal opinions bind the executive branch.
The current government has repeatedly clashed with Baharav-Miara and voted to fire her last year in August, though the High Court subsequently struck down that decision.
The government has also recently advanced in its first reading the highly controversial bill that seeks to split the role of attorney-general into two, in a move that critics say would hinder the power to influence.
MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party), who chairs the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, has advanced and supported both bills.
Ahead of the expected Knesset dissolution and amid the government’s last term to pass legislation, both laws have been fast-tracked, with numerous lengthy meetings held.
Rothman moved forward to advance the bill to split the A-G on Wednesday in the committee, ahead of its second and third readings. He announced to the panel that the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2027, if passed. This would not be long after the upcoming elections, which are set to take place no later than October.
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.