Katz's hope to transfer W. Bank Jewish issues from IDF to police may get blocked - exclusive

Last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz proposed transferring authority for handling extremist Jewish activists' issues from the IDF to the police. However, this plan may get blocked, according to The Jerusalem Post. Katz failed to consult senior IDF authorities before making the announcement, and many of them were unaware of his proposal until a meeting on Monday.

While Katz promoted the change as a fait accompli, the Post understands that multiple factors could hinder the proposal's implementation, reduce its impact, or delay it for months. Under international law, the IDF remains the sovereign authority in the West Bank, and even if Israel were to annex the area, it would still hold primary responsibility for security and maintaining public order.

The Shin Bet and the police have traditionally played parallel roles in the West Bank, handling Palestinian and Jewish terror cases and arrests, respectively. Critics argue that if the police were to assume all issues for IDF operations, Palestinians might face trial in civil courts, which is controversial. Moreover, some view Katz's move as an attempt to give National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir control over the issue, despite widespread doubts about his ability to handle extremist Jews effectively.

Potential diplomatic pressure, particularly from the US, could also hinder the change. Many security issues in the West Bank involve both Palestinians and Jews, so it would be impractical for the IDF to handle Palestinian issues and the police to handle Jewish issues. Negotiations between the parties might result in a limited shift in responsibilities, which could take months or longer to finalize.

However, if the current government is reelected after the upcoming October 27 elections, there could be some changes in authorities between the IDF and the police after extensive negotiations and increased police resources.