Police Chief Roni Alsheich was warned a number of weeks ago in a telephone message that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is dissatisfied with him. according the Ynet report, the police commander was phoned by an associate, warning him persons in the Prime Minister’s Office view him today as a “traitor” and being “ungrateful”, and that PM Netanyahu has him in his crosshairs.

It is further report that the belief if that Alsheich, who was deputy director of the Shin Bet when tapped to become police chief, was angry because he was not appointed director of the Shin Bet. Alsheich contradicts this, explaining once he was selected for the top police slot, he phoned Mr. Netanyahu and told him he was giving up on the Shin Bet leadership slot.

Ynet adds that Alsheich was warned that there would soon be an attack targeting him personally, but the police chief was not worried and he preferred to only share the contents of the call with a few close associates, not wanting to further strain the difficult relationship with the Prime Minister due to police investigations against him. Alsheich did however share the phone call with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, the report adds.

The report adds that the tensions between the two have resulted in Alsheich refraining from giving regular government briefings regarding the department’s work.

This Ynet report follows the comment recently made by Mr. Netanyahu against Alsheich and his department for the “tsunami of leaks” to the press pertaining to ongoing probes against him, seeking to place Alsheich on the defensive. Alsheich told the media there were no leaks coming from his office.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)