File: Commander of the Lahav 433 Unit, Manny Binyamin, attends a ceremony at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, April 20, 2025 (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
Manny Binyamin, the head of police's Lahav 433 major crimes unit, was identified Thursday night as the senior officer who was detained for questioning a day earlier on suspicion of breach of trust and abuse of authority.
Binyamin, who holds the rank of deputy commissioner, was detained and questioned under caution by the Department for Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) on suspicion that he intervened in a classified investigation in which he had a conflict of interest that he didn't report, and took various actions to influence how it was handled within his unit. He allegedly assisted a businessman believed to be close to him.
He was interrogated for seven hours by investigators, who seized his phone before releasing him on restrictive conditions, which include a nine-day ban from entering police facilities and a prohibition on contacting anyone involved in the case.
The suspect is one of the highest-ranking police officers in the country and has been promoted in rank twice during National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's time in office.
He assumed his most recent position helming Lahav 433 in September 2024, where it is his job to oversee high-profile investigations, many involving corruption of politicians and other public figures.
On Thursday morning, Hebrew media reported that the case Binyamin allegedly sought to influence had not yet been made public and was still in its early stages.
"This is a case that is not yet known to the public," sources familiar with the details told the Ynet news outlet.
A gag order issued by the Jerusalem District Court forbids the publication of most details of the investigation.
DIPI and Israel Police have reportedly formed a joint special investigative team, and numerous senior officers -- including Police Commissioner Danny Levy and members of the suspect's close circle -- have been required to sign confidentiality agreements to prevent leaks, according to Ynet.
Levy reportedly summoned police command staff for an urgent meeting following Binyamin's detention and is expected to appoint Assistant Commissioner Eli Macmel, currently head of Lahav 433's National Fraud Investigation Unit, as a temporary replacement.
Senior officers in the force expressed shock and disbelief over the allegations.
"We're talking about one of the sharpest and most respected deputy commissioners in the organization," one senior official told the Maariv news site. "He holds one of the most senior investigative roles, so he understands the sensitivity of ongoing cases. Frankly, the suspicions don't make sense to us. If the details are true, this is more than an earthquake. Until proven otherwise, we still believe in his integrity."
Ben Gvir, whose ministry oversees the police, was quoted in Hebrew media on Thursday saying he believes in Binyamin's innocence and opposes appointing Macmel as his temporary replacement.
Ben Gvir has repeatedly and publicly clashed with the police, including a case currently playing out in court in which he is accused of blocking the promotion of a policewoman involved in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption case.
The dramatic development on Wednesday also came amid turmoil surrounding other investigations -- including a High Court battle over who should oversee the probe into former military advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi's role in the Sde Teiman leak affair.
That case has deepened tensions between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, after both sides refused to compromise on the identity of the official to accompany the inquiry. During a tense hearing on Tuesday, Supreme Court justices "implored" the opposing sides to come to a compromise agreement, but they appeared on Thursday to have failed to do so.
The legal conflict over who will have authority over the criminal investigation into the leak -- and the alleged cover-up -- has sparked a severe political furor and laid bare ongoing societal divides over the law enforcement and justice systems.