Israeli Civil Rights Group Demands Shin Bet Withdrawal from Arab Community Crime Enforcement

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) has formally requested that the Attorney General, the head of the Shin Bet security service, and the Israel Police Commissioner cease the involvement of Shin Bet in combating crime and violence within the Arab community. This demand follows a police announcement of a joint operation involving the police, Shin Bet, and the prosecution in the Galilee region aimed at addressing crime, violence, economic offenses, and illegal weapons possession.

In a letter sent to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Shin Bet Chief David Zini, and Police Commissioner Danni Levi, ACRI argued that handling criminal offenses, even serious ones involving weapons, falls outside Shin Bet's legal mandate. The organization emphasized that Shin Bet's role is to counter security threats, not to perform civilian law enforcement tasks.

ACRI further warned that expanding Shin Bet's activities into crime fighting within the Arab community constitutes an overreach of its authority and risks infringing on citizens' fundamental rights, particularly due to concerns over the use of covert intelligence methods in criminal proceedings. The group urged the Attorney General to ensure that law enforcement in the Arab sector remains solely under the jurisdiction of the Israel Police.

According to the report, approximately 130 people have been murdered in the Arab community in Israel since the start of the year, mostly related to clan conflicts, organized crime, blood feuds, drug trafficking, and shootings.