Israeli Government Cuts Nearly NIS 570 Million from Arab Sector Crime Prevention Programs

The Israeli government plans to cut approximately NIS 568 million from the Takadum program, which supports the socio-economic development of the Arab community, to fund the Shin Bet's efforts against crime in the Arab sector. This decision, expected on Tuesday, will reduce funding for key crime prevention initiatives, including the immediate closure of Riyan employment guidance centers responsible for placing tens of thousands of young Arabs in jobs, the termination of a successful fundraising project, and cuts to budgets for industrial zones and sports centers.

The Takadum program, initiated by the change government for 2022-2026, originally allocated NIS 32.5 billion, with NIS 24.5 billion remaining after excluding funds for Druze, Bedouins, and crime fighting. Following broad cuts, the budget stood at NIS 23 billion. Since May Golan became Minister for Social Equality in January 2024, she has pushed for reductions in the program, including a failed attempt in 2025 to transfer NIS 2.6 billion to the National Security Ministry amid police investigations against her. Despite opposition from government ministries and acting Prime Minister's Office Director Drorit Steinmetz, who blocked cuts in 2024, Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Golan renewed the initiative through Government Secretary Yossi Fox.

Ben-Gvir announced last week that NIS 568 million would be redirected to the Shin Bet for crime fighting. The cuts include NIS 92 million from the Ministry of Labor for Riyan centers and vocational training, NIS 57 million from Culture and Sports for sports centers known for crime prevention, NIS 10 million from the Authority for Economic Development of the Arab Society for the resource mappers project, and NIS 60 million from the Ministry of Economy for industrial zones. The latest funding for Riyan centers expired on June 30, leaving them without a budget and risking the immediate dismissal of 250 employees.

Research by Dr. Marian Tahouku from the Aharon Institute estimates that adding 84,000 Arab women to the workforce over the past decade contributed NIS 14.5 billion annually to GDP, while operating Riyan centers costs about NIS 100 million per year. Husam Abu Mukh, director of the Riyan program at Alfanar, emphasized that these centers are an investment that benefits the Israeli economy and expands the tax base. Mazen Gnaim, chairman of the Arab Local Authorities Committee and mayor of Sakhnin, warned that closing Riyan centers would sever the last economic lifeline for tens of thousands of families and push thousands of youth into crime and violence.

The resource mappers project, costing only NIS 10 million, helps Arab municipalities navigate government tenders and is considered a major success. However, Ben-Gvir and Golan also seek to cut this funding. Ofer Dagan, co-CEO of the Sikkuy-Opok NGO, described the project as a key economic development engine, warning that cutting it could undermine crime prevention mechanisms.

Alongside Takadum, a separate NIS 2.5 billion police crime-fighting plan was approved, with Salem Abbasi from the Musawe Center noting a budget surplus of about NIS 750 million that could fund Shin Bet activities in the Arab community.