The Association for Civil Rights in Israel has asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to stop local security patrols operating in municipalities, focusing on what it calls a blatant overreach by Beersheba’s city security unit. In a letter sent last week by attorneys Nitzan Ilani and Debbie Gild-Hayo, the group said the patrols are carrying out vehicle and foot chases, searches without authority, proactive operations, and responses to calls across the city, effectively serving as a substitute for police.
The group argued that the authorization order for the patrol allows only limited powers in specific areas, and said the locations cited in city protocol, including the Australian Park, Park HaMichtash, the market parking lot, the market warehouses, and Neighborhood He, do not appear in the permit. It also said the current order, signed in 2022 under then minister Omer Bar-Lev, was not properly signed by Itamar Ben Gvir, and in any case does not authorize handling violence prevention in the way the guards are reportedly acting.
The letter also referred to a November 4 hearing in the Knesset National Security Committee, where officials sharply criticized a Beersheba pilot. According to the group, all professional participants said the pilot failed because the guards exceeded their authority and acted actively even between approved locations. Ministry of Justice and National Insurance Institute representatives were quoted as saying the model “did not succeed” in Beersheba.
The association asked Baharav-Miara to cancel the authorization order immediately and issue a general directive for all local authorities banning independent security and policing frameworks that operate without legal authority in public spaces. Beersheba Municipality rejected the claims, saying the patrol operates within the law, alongside the Israel Police, and provides important daily assistance to city residents. The city said the unit will continue to act “with determination” and use all powers available to it.
