Shin Bet to join fight against Arab sector crime, funded by diversion of Arab society development budget

The cabinet approved a plan on Wednesday evening under which the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) will join the fight against crime in the Arab sector. As part of the program, approximately half a billion shekels will be diverted from the five-year development plan for Arab society.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the plan was spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Social Equality Minister May Golan.

The plan’s approval comes in the final stretch of the government's term, following consecutive years of rising homicide rates in Arab communities.

Under the plan, approximately NIS 364.5 million (nearly $122 million) will be allocated to the Shin Bet to establish a dedicated unit focused on combating smuggling and weapons trafficking, as well as boosting intelligence and operational capabilities. Additionally, roughly NIS 132.4 million ($44 million) will be allocated to the Israel Police to establish a dedicated national unit to combat crime in Arab society, including the development of technological infrastructure and the procurement of advanced operational equipment.

According to the announcement, an additional 130 personnel positions will be allocated to the Shin Bet starting this year, alongside an ongoing annual permanent budget of NIS 35 million (about $12 million).

"Bringing the Shin Bet into the fight against crime in Arab society, which has become a national plague, is dramatic news and a significant step in the total war we are waging against organized crime," Prime Minister Netanyahu said. "We will not accept a reality of violence, extortion, and murder on our streets."

In his statement, Minister Ben-Gvir took aim at the former head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar. "After he fought tooth and nail to prevent the Shin Bet from intervening in Arab sector crime, the excellent new Shin Bet Director, David Zini, has stepped up to the task," Ben-Gvir charged.

Minister Golan also went on the offensive, repeating claims that funds from the five-year plan – from which the budgets were diverted to fund the Shin Bet's intervention – had leaked to criminal organizations. "I am proud that we have led a historic correction and flipped the equation," Golan said.

Advocate Elsa Bonia of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) released a statement opposing the move: "The Shin Bet's involvement in fighting crime in Arab society exceeds its authority and is expected to severely violate the fundamental rights of the entire Arab public. The Shin Bet is a powerful agency with extraordinary security powers, including mass secret surveillance, administrative detentions, and denying access to legal counsel. The insistence by many cabinet members on integrating the Shin Bet into this fight represents a cynical exploitation of the crime crisis in Arab society and the distress of Arab citizens – whom the police have neglected for years – and demands immediate restraint."