National Security Ministry Spent Half of Crime Budget for Arab Society

The Ministry of National Security has utilized approximately half of the police budget allocated for the government's plan to combat crime and violence in Arab society, according to budget execution data first published by the newspaper Haaretz. The government's Resolution 549 designated about 1.5 billion shekels for the police, but only around 748 million shekels were actually spent. The release of this data follows a period marked by delays in fund transfers and demands for oversight mechanisms on their use.

Government Resolution 549 aims to curb organized crime and violence in Arab communities through a multi-year plan. Political disputes have arisen over the plan's implementation in the past two years, fueled by claims from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other ministers alleging the diversion of funds from Arab local authorities to criminal organizations. These accusations led to delays in some budget allocations and the imposition of special oversight measures as a condition for their release.

Concurrent with the delays in police budget execution, complementary government programs in welfare, prevention, rehabilitation, and youth care within Arab society have seen reductions. Some funds originally intended for civilian programs were redirected to bolster law enforcement agencies and Shin Bet activities. Data from the Abraham Initiatives organization indicates that 177 Arab citizens have been killed since the beginning of 2026 in circumstances related to crime and violence, including 152 by shooting and 7 by stabbing. This figure is comparable to the 179 victims recorded during the same period last year.