Deputy Commissioner Meni Binyamin, commander of Lahav 433—the national crime and corruption unit— is the senior officer questioned by Israel Police's Internal Investigations Department (PIID) on suspicion of breach of trust and misuse of office.
According to the allegations, he sought to influence an investigation handled within Lahav 433 in a matter in which he was allegedly in a conflict of interest. Lahav 433, often described as Israel’s FBI-equivalent, is the national investigative unit responsible for combating serious organized crime, corruption, and high-profile criminal cases.
Report reveals Deputy Commissioner Boaz Blat, head of the Police Investigations and Intelligence Division to which Lahav 433 is subordinate, made an unusual comment to senior Lahav 433 officers on Wednesday evening. “This is not a major event — it is on the borderline of a disciplinary issue,” he said. Police did not deny the remark and responded only that “the division head spoke with his subordinates as expected. The investigation is being conducted by the internal affairs unit to establish the truth.”
Binyamin’s attorney, Ori Korb, said: “The head of Lahav was questioned for seven hours and fully cooperated, handing over both his passcode and his phone. His account made clear that he committed no wrongdoing, and he was released without conditions except for suspension from duty until next Thursday.”
He added that a gag order prevents Binyamin from presenting the facts publicly for now, “which only fuels baseless rumors. When the details come to light, it will be clear this is much ado about nothing, and he will return to serving the public.”
The head of Lahav 433 is not a routine posting. The role oversees Israel’s most sensitive investigative units, including those responsible for probing public corruption involving senior officials and politicians. Together with the national investigations chief, the Lahav commander also approves appointments of unit heads who manage such cases.
The case Binyamin is suspected of attempting to influence has not yet been made public and remains at an early stage. He was questioned for more than seven hours on Wednesday and released near midnight under restrictive conditions, including a nine-day ban from police facilities and a prohibition on contacting other individuals involved in the case. His phone was seized by investigators.
Binyamin initially asked to transfer the investigation to the military advocate general’s office after receiving early information about the affair, but the police commissioner decided the probe would remain under the direct oversight of the investigations division head, Blat, who appointed a special investigative team under his command.
He was appointed head of Lahav 433 in September 2024 by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Police Commissioner Dani Levi. His rapid rise — from assistant commissioner to deputy commissioner in just a year and a half — sparked internal criticism, especially given his limited experience at the senior command level. Previous reporting detailed objections within the police to his appointment and the role of Ben-Gvir’s associate, Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, in promoting him.
Binyamin was detained for questioning on Wednesday after arriving at a seminar for senior officers. Internal affairs investigators waited for the session to end and asked him to accompany them. Participants at the seminar witnessed his detention. Minister Ben-Gvir — who backed Benjamin’s promotion — has publicly defended him, saying he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Benjamin’s partner said, “We are law-abiding people, we believe in his innocence, and we will stand by him.”
According to internal affairs investigators, Binyamin is suspected of intervening in a case where he had an undisclosed conflict of interest and of acting in various ways to influence how the matter was handled within his unit. A senior official familiar with the details said the allegation is that Binyamin’s actions benefited a businessman close to him in a sensitive investigation.
The police commissioner said he will appoint Deputy Commissioner Eli Makmel, head of the National Fraud Investigations Unit, is acting commander of Lahav 433. In light of the upheaval, Commissioner Levi summoned the senior command staff for an urgent briefing.
Given the sensitivity of his position, the suspicions against Binyamin amount to a major shock within Israel’s law enforcement system, which is already unsettled by the ongoing probe of former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.