A hearing was held on Tuesday at the Jerusalem District Court sitting as an Administrative Affairs Court in a petition challenging National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s refusal to approve the promotion of senior police investigator Rinat Saban, amid allegations of improper political interference in police promotion processes.
The petition, filed by Saban together with the Movement for Quality Government and a group of former senior police commanders, argues that Ben-Gvir unlawfully delayed Saban’s promotion from superintendent to chief-superintendent despite the completion of all professional requirements and formal recommendations by police command.
Saban, a veteran officer in the Israel Police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division, was appointed in late 2024 as assistant to the division's head, a position designated for the rank of chief superintendent. Ben-Gvir formally approved her appointment, with the rank to be granted upon completion of a required command course.
No explanation provided for Saban not being promoted
Saban completed the course on April 28, 2025, alongside other officers, all of whom received their promotions. On the eve of the graduation ceremony, however, she was informed that she would be the only participant not to be promoted, after Ben-Gvir declined to sign the final approval for her rank. No explanation was initially provided.
The timing of the decision drew immediate attention. While completing the course, Saban had provided testimony in Case 4000, the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and had previously been involved in investigations concerning Netanyahu’s close aide, Yonatan Urich.
In her petition, Saban argues that the refusal to approve her promotion “stems from political and extraneous considerations that are not legitimate,” constitutes a decision made without authority, and violates both police regulations and understandings previously reached between the minister and the Attorney General’s Office regarding limits on political involvement in police appointments.
The Attorney-General’s Office and the Israel Police have sided with Saban, submitting filings supporting both the petition and a request for an interim order, which effectively freezes the situation as it is. Ordinarily, the Attorney-General’s Office would be the one representing the government or a minister.
In their response, police and deputy attorneys-general argue that Ben-Gvir’s conduct represents a serious deviation from established practice, warning that no precedent exists - under previous ministers or the current one - for scrutinizing an officer’s testimony in a specific criminal investigation as part of promotion considerations, absent command-level criticism or disciplinary consequences.
“The independence of the Israel Police, and in particular of officers in the Investigations Division, is a foundational and indispensable element in preserving democracy and the rule of law,” the state’s filing states, adding that police must enforce the law “without regard to the political preferences of the government or the minister overseeing the force.”
According to the filings, Ben-Gvir’s initial approval of Saban’s appointment necessarily presupposed the granting of the accompanying rank, and his subsequent demand to convene a special reassignment or placement hearing focused solely on her case falls outside his authority. The circumstances cited by the minister, they argue, are irrelevant to the promotion process and extend beyond his lawful remit.
Internal correspondence attached to the petition shows months of escalating exchanges between Ben-Gvir, senior police officials, and senior figures in the Attorney-General’s Office.
In July 2025, deputy attorneys-general warned of suspected improper political interference in the handling of Saban’s promotion. Ben-Gvir rejected the accusation, asserting that the legal advisers themselves were undermining police independence, and later questioned Saban’s professionalism in communications sent to ministry officials - correspondence that was not shared with Saban directly and became public through media reporting.
Police legal advisers and the police commissioner pushed back, stressing that Saban’s qualifications were “above average,” that no disciplinary issues existed, and that her testimony in Netanyahu’s trial was irrelevant to her promotion.
The dispute was later cited by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara in a separate High Court filing as an example of Ben-Gvir’s failure to adhere to agreed-upon principles designed to prevent political influence over police appointments.
Beyond the individual officer, the petition warns of far-reaching consequences for law enforcement, arguing that blocking promotions based on investigative work or testimony risks deterring police officers from pursuing corruption cases involving senior political figures.
According to the petition, such conduct threatens police independence, the rule of law, public trust, and the integrity of criminal proceedings by signaling to investigators that professional advancement may depend on political considerations.
The petitioners are seeking an order compelling Ben-Gvir to immediately approve Saban’s promotion, retroactive to the date she completed the course. They have also asked the court to rule that if the minister fails to comply, the promotion be effected by virtue of the court’s decision itself.