Minister Aharonovitch wants Haredim to serve in police
Knesset debates surge in violence, urban police force, and performance of national service in police
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch suggested to the Knesset Wednesday that the ultra-Orthodox sect be permitted to perform national service in the police.
During a specially convened Knesset recess session MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) laid blame on Minister Aharonovitch for the violent acts Tuesday night, in which a number of haredi men were caught on video attacking a cab driver.
Gafni added that he "rejects violence". He told the minister, "You are not just another policeman, but an elected security minister," and asked how many times Aharonovitch had met with representatives of the haredi sect.
Only 23 MKs and half of Kadima's members attended the special session convened by the party, entitled 'Increased violence and violation of citizens' personal safety'.
Two former security ministers, Gideon Ezra and Avi Dichter, both from Kadima, also spoke during the session.
Both stressed that special attention should be given to the issue of teens at risk in order to prevent them from slipping into crime. Dichter objected to the idea of an urban police force, saying that "there is no magical solution to the problem" and that more manpower should be added to the police force.
Aharonovitch, on his part, said he was proud of recent murder cases solved by the police and that his department had received additional funds he intended to invest in new technology rather than reinforcing manpower.
Aharonovitz also presented additional plans, among them speedy trials for traffic offenders and the transferring of some cases handled by the police's prosecution to the State Prosecutor's Office.
He added that the police has a special role in integrating the different public sects, and said there were "advanced talks" about haredim joining the police as part of their national service.
The minister also objected to the idea of an urban police, stressing that the "the American model of urban police forces does not fit the State of Israel".
He offered an alternate model, namely an "urban force within Israel Police, which will be in charge of quality of life offenses and will act in conjunction with the mayor's office".
