Israel Approves Shin Bet Involvement to Combat Crime in Arab Society Amid Budget Shift

The Israeli government approved a plan on Wednesday to involve the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in fighting crime within the Arab community. Approximately 497 million shekels will be reallocated from the previous government's five-year plan (Decision 550) for the Arab sector to support this initiative. Of this, 364.5 million shekels will fund the establishment of a dedicated Shin Bet unit targeting arms smuggling and trafficking, enhancing intelligence and operational capabilities. Another 132.4 million shekels will be allocated to the police to create a national unit focused on crime in the Arab community, including advanced technology and operational equipment. Additionally, 130 new Shin Bet personnel positions will be added to meet the program's goals.

A senior government official clarified to ynet that Shin Bet's role will be limited to combating arms smuggling linked to terrorism, not replacing police efforts against general crime. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move a "dramatic breakthrough" in the fight against crime, emphasizing the combined intelligence, operational, and technological strengths of Shin Bet and police to target crime leaders and restore public safety. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the decision as a major victory for Israeli citizens and criticized previous Shin Bet leadership for resisting this involvement. Social Equality Minister May Golan highlighted her efforts to expose misuse of funds and redirect resources to law enforcement rather than criminal organizations.

However, several government ministries expressed strong criticism. The Ministry of Social Equality's legal opinion raised concerns about insufficient factual basis for reallocating funds, lack of coordination with existing anti-crime plans (Decision 549), and potential negative impacts on commitments to third parties. The Ministry of Labor warned that cutting the budget for employment programs in the Arab community, which currently serve 10,000 participants, would harm social integration efforts. The Ministry of Culture and Sports also opposed the cuts, citing disruption to ongoing projects and inadequate consultation.

Reactions from Arab community organizations were critical, viewing the budget shift as harmful to youth programs, employment training, and infrastructure development. They accused the government of deepening discrimination and treating Arab citizens as security threats rather than addressing crime through policing and prevention. Civil society groups called the decision a damaging blow to the social and economic development of the Arab sector, potentially fostering conditions for further criminal activity. They urged the Knesset Finance Committee to reject most of the budget cuts.