Israeli Police Detective Promoted to Chief Superintendent Following Yearlong Legal Dispute and Ministerial Obstruction

Israeli detective Rinat Saban secures her promotion after a Supreme Court ruling overrides National Security Minister Ben Gvir’s yearlong opposition.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 24, 2026, 11:16 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Times of Israel

Supreme Court Ends Deadlock Over Police Appointments

The legal stalemate surrounding the promotion of Supt. Rinat Saban concluded on Tuesday when Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein rejected an emergency petition from the National Security Ministry. The ruling cleared the way for Saban to attain the rank of chief superintendent, a move that had been frozen since March 2025 due to political interference. Despite a series of lower court mandates declaring the withholding of the promotion unlawful, the administrative impasse required a definitive judicial intervention to bypass the executive branch’s refusal to finalize the commission.

Ministerial Objections Rooted in Corruption Investigations

The primary friction behind the promotion delay stemmed from Saban’s previous involvement in high profile investigations and her subsequent testimony in the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir argued in court filings that his role was not intended to be a mere rubber stamp for the police command, alleging that Saban had committed unspecified legal violations. However, judicial authorities determined that these objections likely arose from extraneous considerations rather than professional misconduct, marking a significant rebuke of the minister’s attempt to influence the internal promotion cycle.

Ceremonial Defiance and Internal Police Solidarity

In a modest ceremony held in Jerusalem, Saban received her new rank in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Boaz Blatt, the head of the investigations and intelligence division. The event was notable for the absence of Police Commissioner Danny Levy, who reportedly declined to attend at the last minute amidst ongoing scrutiny regarding his relationship with the National Security Ministry. During her remarks, Saban emphasized the necessity of fighting for professional integrity and expressed hope for the advancement of other colleagues whose careers remain stalled by political vetting processes.