Arson at Southern Sewage Plant Highlights Growing 'Protection Racket' Threat

An arson attack on the electricity room of a wastewater treatment facility near the Shukat junction in the Negev has disrupted operations and highlighted a growing trend of criminal extortion targeting national infrastructure. The facility's shutdown caused raw sewage from the Hebron area, amounting to 30 million liters daily, to flow into the Hebron stream, which runs through the Negev. The Ministry of Environmental Protection warned residents of southern Israel, including Beersheba and surrounding regional councils, to avoid contact with the stream due to health risks and foul odors.

This incident underscores a worsening problem of 'protection rackets' where criminals extort money from the state itself by threatening to damage critical infrastructure. Dani Laker, Director of Security at the Water Authority, described how criminal gangs have identified sewage systems as attractive targets. He explained that criminals demand monthly payments, often starting at NIS 5,000 and escalating, threatening to damage facilities if payments are not made. When payments stop, facilities are torched, as seen in the Shukat incident.

Laker noted that while the northern region has seen around 30 similar attacks on water and sewage infrastructure, leading to increased security measures and a dedicated police task force, the southern region is lagging. The Shukat facility is operated by the Neve Midbar water corporation, serving Bedouin communities. Its CEO, Khaled Ganem, has reportedly been under constant security and relocated his family. Laker attributed the slower progress in the south to less robust budget allocation and less effective cooperation with the police and the local corporation compared to the north.

Beersheba Mayor Rubik Danilovich criticized the government's lack of deterrence and governance, stating that the state is incapable of dealing with criminal gangs affecting the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of residents. Despite the challenges, the Neve Midbar corporation and the Water Authority managed to divert the sewage to a nearby reservoir, limiting the immediate environmental damage. Initial repairs to the electricity room are underway, aiming to restore partial functionality to the plant, which already deals with significant pollution from the Hebron area.

Sources in national infrastructure indicate that the water sector's fight against these rackets is just the tip of the iceberg, with criminals demanding a share in nearly all infrastructure projects. While the water sector is actively resisting, other sectors are reportedly paying off criminals for peace.