CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch announced the appointment of former southern police district head Cmdr. Uri Bar-Lev as the representative of the Israel Police to the U.S.

Aharonovitch's announcement ended an eight-month controversy that began last August when Police Commissioner Inspector-General David Cohen fired Bar-Lev for refusing to go on study leave.

Bar-Lev, who holds two degrees and is well thought of by his staff, especially for helping to lower crime in the areas under his command and improve cooperation between the police and local authorities, petitioned the High Court over his dismissal.

The court instructed the two police officers to settle their differences among themselves.

On Monday evening, Aharonovitch's spokesman, Tal Harel, issued a statement saying that after examining Bar-Lev's petition, he and the police commissioner agreed "that Bar-Lev will not be fired."

"[I have] confidence that the police commissioner and Cmdr. Bar-Lev will cooperate and move the police forward to meet the many challenges that await it," Aharonovitch said.

The statement also mentioned that Bar-Lev would "withdraw his petition from the High Court immediately."

Source: The Jerusalem Post