The stand-off between the Israeli police and far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the handling of mass protests continued this week with the Tel Aviv police chief he tried to remove still in his job.

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Anti-reform bill protests in Tel Aviv (Flash 90)

Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security, reportedly accused Tel Aviv district police chief Amichai Eshed of being too soft on anti-government protesters and announced he was being transferred to a training division..But Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara overruled
Ben-Gvir and froze the dismissal.

Chief of Police Kobi Shabtai admitted the decision had been “a mistake” and promised to protect citizens’ right to protest within the law.

Eshed later walked through Tel Aviv in uniform to applauding crowds.
In a joint letter, Israel’s top former police chiefs called on Shabtai to resign for his part in the attempted removal of Eshed, whom they called “a commander with a backbone”.