Shin Bet Chief Warns of Unprecedented Terror Organizations in Bedouin Sector

The head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, warned the political-security cabinet on Monday about unprecedented terror organizations forming within the Bedouin population in the Negev. He detailed to cabinet members that security forces are identifying attempts to establish military-style infrastructure within Israel. "There are places in the Bedouin diaspora with military infrastructure that we are constantly thwarting, attempts to establish military-like battalions, this is a very worrying phenomenon," Zini stated.

This unusual warning comes amid a consistent two-year rise in the involvement of Israeli citizens from the Bedouin sector in terror incidents, arms smuggling across the Egyptian border, and connections with terror elements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Shin Bet and police are observing that the widespread influx of illegal weapons into the Negev, coupled with nationalist and religious radicalization, has created fertile ground for local armed groups.

Security officials point to several key trends fueling this issue. Arms smuggling has turned the Negev into a hub for acquiring standard weapons, including assault rifles, explosives, and night vision equipment. Additionally, the line between criminal activity and nationalist extremism is blurring, with infrastructures that began as criminal organizations extorting protection money now becoming radicalized and redirecting their weapons towards terror attacks.

Another influencing factor is the ongoing conflicts. Hamas and ISIS propaganda on social media is leading young people from the Bedouin sector to form local cells and attempt to emulate the operational patterns of terror organizations in the West Bank. The Shin Bet, police, and IDF are continuing targeted counter-terrorism efforts in the Bedouin sector, including nighttime arrests, weapons seizures, and the use of advanced intelligence tools to dismantle these nascent "battalion" formations.

Recently, during a conference in Rahat attended by retired Police Commissioner Yoav Segalovitz, who is also second on the Ra'am party list, volleys of gunfire were heard nearby as part of a clan dispute. Segalovitz described the incident, stating, "During the meeting, volleys of gunfire were heard very close to us, in the early evening. The inconceivable thing is that here in the city, it has almost become routine. Just yesterday, volleys of gunfire were heard for eight consecutive hours." He added, "This must not become routine. This is a severe failure of the government, which has abandoned the personal security of its citizens."