Israeli Finance Committee Chair Warns Organized Crime Funds Terror Threat in Arab Sector
Hanoch Milwitsky, chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, warns that the fight against crime in Israel's Arab community is not merely a criminal issue but a top-tier security threat. In an interview, he emphasized the dangerous overlap between organized crime and nationalist terrorism, stating that weapons held by criminal groups could quickly be turned against Israeli citizens for nationalist motives. Milwitsky criticized the state's current failure to treat this threat as terrorism, highlighting incidents of automatic weapon fire from Arab towns at police officers as evidence of escalating violence.
Milwitsky expressed particular concern about the widespread phenomenon of extortion, which he says has infiltrated nearly every sector of the Israeli economy. He recounted a conversation with a large contractor who pays millions in protection money monthly, illustrating how the public ultimately bears the financial burden, effectively funding criminal-terrorist networks. He called for aggressive measures to combat extortion, including the establishment of a state-backed fund to insure businesses refusing to yield to criminal demands, arguing that the current budget of 30 million shekels is grossly insufficient.
The Knesset member also detailed the close ties between criminal organizations and terrorist groups, describing them as "the golden path" for terrorism to operate. He asserted that Israel knows the identities of the main crime bosses and could arrest them swiftly but has refrained from doing so for various reasons. Milwitsky warned that delaying action risks a catastrophic event, comparing the situation to a ticking bomb.
He further criticized Israel's judicial system, particularly the Supreme Court and the Attorney General, calling for a deep overhaul that would limit the Supreme Court's administrative powers and establish a constitutional court with fixed terms. Regarding legislation to deport families of terrorists, which he helped initiate, Milwitsky noted it has yet to be applied but may soon be tested in a case involving an Israeli citizen.
Despite his warnings, Milwitsky clarified he does not view all Israeli Arabs as enemies, acknowledging many wish to live peacefully and are uninterested in radical nationalist ideologies. However, he stressed that criminal elements collaborating with terrorist groups represent a cancer that must be removed to prevent further harm to the state.
