'Boaz Balet is a fraud': Ben-Gvir slams head of police investigations over election probe

Ben-Gvir criticized Maj.-Gen. Boaz Balet, head of the Israel Police Investigations, following reports that Balet had prohibited police from transferring materials to Shin Bet for the election probe.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir claimed that Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Danny Levy was being blackmailed by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of pressuring the police chief and influencing his conduct following the elections, in an interview on 103FM on Sunday.

"Unfortunately, the police commissioner is being blackmailed," Ben-Gvir said. Asked who was blackmailing him, Ben-Gvir replied, "The attorney-general."

"Google it," Ben-Gvir continued. "It's not that complicated to understand why the police commissioner did a complete 180. He was a police commissioner who implemented government policy, and I was pleased with him. She puts pressure on him; she screams at him in meetings. He gets shouted at by her, and she has several things she uses to pressure him."

Asked what those issues were, Ben-Gvir instead brought up the head of the Israel Police Spokesperson's Division.

"Arieh Doron, look into his role in this story," he said.

"Google 'the police commissioner's building violations,' and see who the building inspectors for his house were. The attorney-general is terrorizing people," Ben-Gvir added.

Ben-Gvir outraged over reports Balet didn't involve Shin Bet

Ben-Gvir continued, "If the police commissioner had shared these things with me, I would have told him, 'Shame on you if you commit building violations, and shame on you if you hire building inspectors you're not allowed to hire.

I don't even let the grocery store give me a one-shekel discount. People bring me gifts, and I tell them I can't accept them. If you're a public figure, protect yourself, because everyone is watching your every move.'"

Ben-Gvir also sharply criticized Maj.-Gen. Boaz Balet, head of the Israel Police Investigations and Intelligence Division, following reports that Balet had prohibited police from transferring investigative materials to the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in a case concerning election integrity.

"I think Boaz Balet is the attorney-general's emissary for closing cases, covering things up and sweeping them under the rug," Ben-Gvir said.

"Boaz Balet is a fraud; he is a liar who has taken control of the Investigations and Intelligence Division and is running it as though it belongs to him. The investigation was with Manny Binyamin. What is he doing there?"

Ben-Gvir expressed outrage over the report that Balet had decided not to involve the Shin Bet in matters concerning election integrity.

"Zini is talking about NIS 100 million that was transferred. We saw the vouchers. The suspicion is Qatar, and it's clear there were various attempts at interference here. It's also clear that in the prisons they passed materials to the Joint List," he added.

Ben-Gvir was also confronted with remarks by his aide and fellow party member, Hanamel Dorfman, who argued that the high voter turnout for Arab parties was actually a protest vote by the Arab public against Ben-Gvir's policies at the National Security Ministry.

Responding directly to Grinzaig, Ben-Gvir said, "You kept saying Ben-Gvir was worth nothing, and suddenly it's blowing up in your face. Suddenly it turns out that the very people you told everyone I had no influence over all went to the polls to bring me down? That's the best compliment I've ever received."

"The claim that if the Arabs came out because of me, to bring down Itamar Ben-Gvir, that's the best proof that I've done what hasn't been done in 40 or 50 years," Ben-Gvir added.