The far-right has captured Israel’s police
Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition partner is eroding the force’s independence
ISRAEL HAS long stood out as a raucous democracy in a region with precious little of it. But on a recent Saturday in Tel Aviv police officers demanded to see the placards of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and for early elections. The police justified this breach of freedom of expression by claiming it was to ensure there was no “incitement”. In fact, it was a sign of how the police have been politicised in the 18 months they have been under the control of Itamar Ben-Gvir.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Politicising the police”
From the July 20th 2024 edition
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