Yair Golan Proposes National Emergency Plan to Combat Crime in Arab Sector with 1 Billion Shekel Budget

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic Party, unveiled a comprehensive plan in Nazareth aimed at tackling crime and violence within the Arab community in Israel. The initiative calls for declaring a national emergency, establishing a dedicated cabinet, and allocating an annual budget of one billion shekels to fight organized crime. The announcement was made during a press conference attended by Knesset members Naama Lazimi, Gilad Kariv, Efrat Rayten, and party candidates Somaya Bashir and Ali Salalha.

Golan emphasized the need for a root-level approach to address crime, highlighting estimates that criminal organizations possess between 100,000 and 150,000 firearms aimed at Israeli civilians. He stated that a country capable of targeting terrorists worldwide should similarly be able to reach crime bosses within Israel. The plan includes forming a special task force comprising five percent of top personnel from security agencies such as the police, Shin Bet, IDF, and Prison Service to staff an operational command center.

Additional measures involve weekly cabinet meetings on the issue, expedited legal processes to ensure suspects move from arrest to incarceration within nine months, and the enactment of stricter penalties for offenders. The strategy also features an economic campaign to cut off funding sources for criminal groups and the creation of a specialized department to coordinate education and welfare efforts aimed at removing children from dangerous environments.