There was nothing ordinary about the two interviews that Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh gave to major media outlets identified with the right last weekend. These were not chance interviews, of course. They were part of a larger media strategy intended to temper the outrage that the right feels toward him.

Alsheikh is one of the most senior figures of the religious Zionist movement, holding a key position in the country’s leadership. He is also intimately familiar with the anger felt toward him in the very home and community where he grew up. The right believes that the Israel Police have been showing excessive motivation in bringing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to trial, where he could be ultimately convicted. On the advice of his media consultants, Alsheikh sat for a long and open interview with the editor of Makor Rishon, Haggai Segal, on March 23. This followed an interview with Channel 20 News on March 22, which is considered pro-Netanyahu. In both interviews, Alsheikh spoke at length about the various investigations of the prime minister and responded to the right’s criticism about his role in the investigations.

It was his choice of these two media outlets, which are very popular among the religious Zionist community and the right in general, which is so disconcerting. It raises the question of why it was so important for Alsheikh to explain himself to this community in particular. Aren’t interviews he grants generously to the more central media outlets in the country enough for him to outline his positions and approach and to provide support for his officers? Does the Israel Police commissioner see a role for himself in politics as part of right-wing HaBayit HaYehudi, as has already been hinted in the past?

Assuming that Alsheikh is as sure of his behavior as he makes a point of saying, there is no need for him to provide the media with lengthy explanations about the most volatile investigations in the country before they are even over. The investigations and their findings should speak for themselves at the end of the entire process. Right now, however, the overriding impression is that the Israel Police commissioner is giving all these interviews for personal reasons, involving his public image.