Israel police says planned budget cuts “go beyond economic mandates”

According to the Israel Police Command, it has been fighting the Ministry of Finance’s bid to “harm police officers’ salaries” for the last several weeks, claiming that the proposed budget cutbacks are “beyond economic decrees that anyway make living in Israel more expensive for every citizen.” In actuality, it is a double blow to the police officers who diligently maintain the security of the State of Israel day and night, on Saturdays and holidays.”

According to the Police Department, undercutting police pay will “fatal consequences” for its capacity to “recruit quality personnel, and retain skilled personnel, who have invested a great deal of effort in their training,” and it “constitutes a direct and dangerous damage to the security of the state and its residents.”

“The challenges of the Israel Police are unparalleled among Western police forces in the world,” it said. “The many and varied threat and attribution scenarios that our police officers are required to face in routine, emergency, and emergency routine situations are exceptional by any standard.”

“Anyone who tries to undermine police officers’ pay actually undermines the police, undermines state security, and needs to examine themselves,” said Police Commissioner Daniel Levy. I refuse to submit to capricious choices and aggressive actions by someone who is unaware of the dangers, exhaustion, and sacrifices associated with being a police officer, with regular duty, with emergency procedures generally, and with war and emergency circumstances specifically.”