The Ministry of National Security (Hebrew: המשרד לביטחון לאומי, Arabic: وزارة الأمن القومي), formerly the Ministry of Internal Security and Ministry of Police, is a government agency of Israel.
The Ministry of National Security is the statewide law enforcement agency and oversees the Israel Police, the Israel Prison Service and the Israel National Fire and Rescue Services, Israel Border Police, National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Internet, National Authority for Community Safety and the Authority for Witness Protection.
The position has been held by Itamar Ben-Gvir since March 2025.
Contents
History
The Minister of National Security (Hebrew: שר לביטחון לאומי, Sar LeVitahon Leumi) is the political head of the ministry.
Until 1995 the position was known as Minister of Police (Hebrew: שר המשטרה, Sar HaMishtara). The first Minister of Police, Bechor-Shalom Sheetrit, a former policeman, held this position from May 1948 until a month before his death in January 1967. He served in fourteen governments, making him the country's longest continually serving minister.
The post was abolished after Menachem Begin became Prime Minister in 1977, but was reinstated in 1984 when Shimon Peres was elected.
In December 2022, the position was renamed again, changing from Minister of Public Security (Hebrew: שר לביטחון פנים, Sar LeVitahon Pnim) to Minister of National Security. This move has been criticized as an unnecessary expense for taxpayers.
In February 2024, Ben-Gvir's appointment as minister was challenged but Israel's High Court of Justice turned down the petition to nullify this appointment.
Agencies
Israel Police
Border Guard
Civil Guard
Firearm Licensing Department
Israel Anti-Drug & Alcohol Authority (now the National Authority for Community Safety)
Israel Witness Protection Authority
Urban enforcement system
National Headquarters for the Protection of Children on the Internet
National Guard of Israel
Israel Fire and Rescue Services (transferred from Ministry of Interior in 2011)
Israel Prison Service
Police & Prison Service Personnel Ombudsman
Unit for Public Inquiries and Complaints
The Unit for Public Inquiries and Complaints operates under the aegis of the Internal Audit Division of the Ministry of Internal Security. It handles complaints from citizens against the Israel Police, Prison Service, National Fire and Rescue Authority, Authority for the War on Drugs and Alcohol and Division for Licensing and Inspection of Firearms. In accordance with the Internal Audit Law, the main duties of the division are to ensure that audited entities abide by the law and carry out their duties in an efficient, financially sound, corruption-free manner.