THE JEWISH HOME
DECEMBER 4, 2014
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Believers in the Police How Religious Officers in Israel’s Police Force are Protecting their Nation with Honor BY TAMMY MARK
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s the Israel Defense Force has long established itself as an effective and consistently moral organization, Israel’s internal security has had difficulty maintaining the same standards. The IDF overwhelmingly commands respect from the people whom they protect and defend, yet the Mishtarat Yisrael, the Israel Police, has developed a regrettably tough reputation amongst many of the citizens it serves and protects. Multiple factors have led to the deterioration of public opinion. The religious sector harbors resentment towards the police for its role in the events that occurred in Gush Katif during the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, as well as for the violent clashes in Amona in 2006. The general public has lost faith in the police force’s ability to act impartially and to fight crime. The police force has had very little success in dealing with pervasive community issues like delinquency and domestic disputes. A recent international study revealed that the Israel Police ranked lowest among 20 national police forces.
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new program, Maaminim B’Mishtara, Believers in the Police, aims to change this reality. Joining with top police officials and the Internal Security Ministry and with the haskama of many rabbanim in Israel, the leaders of the organization have created a system to recruit highly skilled and ethical candidates from amongst the religious population in efforts to boost both the police capabilities as well as its
public image. The initiative was spearheaded three years ago by Nachy Eyal after an unfortunate encounter with the Israel Police. He realized that the existing situation required drastic changes. Determined to boost the integrity of the Israel Police, Eyal set out to fix the system from within. Amongst the challenges he faced was the fact the Israel Police has had difficulty recruiting da’ati
graduates of IDF combat units into its ranks. Of the 29,000 policemen in the Mishtara, a mere 6,000 are at least traditional and the halachic aspects of police work has never been formally addressed. Under the direction of CEO Uriel Cohen and Rabbi Rami Brachyahu, rav of Talmon and head of the program’s beit midrash, religious police officers are gradually gaining traction in the police force. Located in Tel
Aviv, the Maaminim B’Mishtara program begins with a year of Torah study, focusing on relevant halacha and ethics, alternating with basic training. The following year the recruits are more fully immersed in police training, with the continued connection to the beit midrash. Through this specialized program, promotion to officer is possible within two years rather than five years in the typical police program. The target candidates are graduates of hesder yeshivot and mechina pre-military academies, ages 22-32, who have completed combat service. As religious Zionists, these individuals have the ability to infuse the police force with a strong Jewish mindset and Israeli spirit found in the IDF. Ideally, the program seeks to recruit representatives from the national religious community, the Ethiopian immigrant community and the chareidi ultra-orthodox community. A metamorphosis is taking place. Relationships are improving. More and more young people want to be a part of this elite program, and the police are embracing them as well, recognizing that these recruits are the best of the best; they are ethical, well-trained and have a strong sense of duty and commitment to the community. They have served their country with pride and bring an increased sense of nationalism and integrity to the police force. 60 policemen have been trained to date and are now deployed throughout the country. Many station houses throughout the state have an Orthodox representative. Spread throughout the country from Eilat to the Golan