High-profile police crackdown on criminal syndicates dismissed by critics as election-year stunt

The Israel Police and Border Police announced Monday that they had launched a nationwide operation targeting organized crime syndicates, drug traffickers and illegal arms-smuggling networks, deploying hundreds of officers in coordinated raids across the country.

The operation resulted in dozens of arrests and the seizure of large quantities of illegal weapons, cash, narcotics and other contraband.

Lahav 433 National Unit for Serious and International Crime Investigations led the operation and follows the recent arrests of several suspected senior leaders of some of Israel's most notorious organized crime groups.

The operation was supported by an undercover agent in the Bedouin community, "who succeeded in infiltrating criminal networks and exposing dozens of weapons and drugs deals," the police said.

"The operation resulted in the seizure of weapons, including M16 rifles, dozens of pistols, and approximately half a kilogram of drugs, as well as the arrest of dozens of suspects, including 20 major criminal targets, during simultaneous raids in Rahat, Tel Sheva, Be'er Hadaj, Arad, Dimona, Eilat, and East Jerusalem, with the participation of dozens of police officers and special units."

The high-profile operation comes as critics accuse National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of using the crackdown as an election-year show of force, arguing that it follows years of worsening violent crime under his tenure. Israelis are expected to head to the polls within the coming months.

"This is what proactive, aggressive, and determined police looks like," Ben-Gvir declared. "Hundreds of police officers and fighters simultaneously raiding dozens of targets and reaching arms and drug dealers - this is exactly the policy we are leading."

"Moving from defense to offense, pursuing crime and not allowing it to raise its head. I commend the Police Commissioner, the commander of Lahav, the Lahav 433 police, the Border Police fighters, and the special units for their professional and determined activity. We will continue to give the police the tools and backing to strike crime with all our might," he said.

Violent crime has risen sharply in Israel in recent years. Since 2022, the country has recorded a new annual high in murders each year, with most killings occurring in the Arab sector.

Authorities have also reported a sharp increase in illegal firearms smuggled into the country, while narcotics use, domestic violence and juvenile delinquency have also increased. Organized crime groups have expanded their influence across multiple sectors of the economy, including major business contracts and government infrastructure projects.

Against that backdrop, some police officers say enforcement alone is not enough.

Elisheva M., a police officer who lives and works in Gush Dan, said community policing efforts have largely disappeared over the past year: "We used to have community outreach programs. I would go to schools and talk to the children about staying away from drugs and being good citizens and all that. But it’s been over a year since I did that."

She said the current approach has focused almost exclusively on visible enforcement rather than building relationships with local communities.

"All Ben Gvir wants us to do is hit the streets and get in everyone’s face to try and make the criminals afraid to stick their heads up. But they’re laughing at us, and we’ve got hardly any community outreach."

According to Elisheva M., the shift has also made it more difficult for officers to gather intelligence from residents.

"All my sources of information have dried up. People are afraid to talk to the police because they know the criminals are watching them. We’ve lost years of progress we were making on these problems before Ben Gvir came in, and there’s going to be a big mess to clean up when he’s gone,” she said.

The Israel Police says its mission remains focused on both enforcement and public safety. According to the Israel Police website, "The Israel Police works to provide personal and social security for all citizens. Its main activities are crime prevention, law enforcement, identifying those suspected of committing crimes, bringing the guilty to justice, assisting victims of crime, and maintaining public order."