Deputy and acting municipal heads from Arab municipalities criticized the police and government handling of violence in the Arab sector at a conference for deputy and acting municipal leaders in Eilat.
“Where are the police, on vacation?” asked Shfaram Deputy Mayor Faraj Khnefess.
Khnefess’s 28-year-old daughter, Johara, was killed in a car bombing police labeled an assassination in 2022.
There are huge numbers of smuggled weapons in the streets, including shoulder-launched rockets and machine guns, Khnefess added, saying, “Everything by us connects to crime – building, business, everything.
“The amount of weapons smuggled from Jordan and other places is significant, and this is not just our problem but a problem for the entire country – it is a security issue. [former national security minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir thought this was a problem of the sector, but that is not true; it is a security issue for all of us,” he said.
“As elected officials, we cannot do anything and cannot address the issue. The ones who can take action are the Israel Police and the government. There is no deterrence, no governance, and no administrative detentions.
“Arab MKs cannot do anything; the government must make a strategic decision and eradicate Arab crime,” he added.
Kafr Yasif Deputy Mayor Falah Safaih also called on Israel’s government to make a change. “The crime starts with the prime minister who brought a racist, Arab-hating minister,” he said.
“Whoever is caught with a weapon is locked up for four days and freed,” Safaih added. There is an issue of education, he said.
Young people come home with money and luxury cars and are not questioned by their parents.
“They still treat us like a fifth column. There was a case where a sheikh in our community received a warning from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) not to leave his house. He went out and was shot. Police officers don’t leave their homes – are we a banana republic?” he asked.
Activists call on Shin Bet to get involved
The panelists called on the Shin Bet to get involved, saying they have the correct knowledge to make an impact.
“The Israel Police is determined to strengthen the personal security of normative citizens and, together with the Headquarters for the Fight Against Crime in Arab Society at the Prime Minister’s Office, is leading a resolute battle against serious crime in Arab society,” the organization said in response.
“In this effort, the police are working to prevent murders and thoroughly investigate past cases. As evidence of this commitment, in the past year alone, dozens of murders were thwarted,” the police said, adding that weapons smuggling operations were thwarted and illegal weapons confiscated.
“This is a national issue that requires the full cooperation of all relevant bodies and opinion leaders in society. It also necessitates the reinforcement of Israel Police resources, both in terms of manpower and technological tools, to effectively combat crime.”
The National Security Ministry also responded, saying it “considers the fight against crime in Arab society a central objective.”
The ministry added, “Eight hundred additional positions were allocated to the Israel Police to address crime in Arab society, with a current staffing rate of 88%. Additionally, in the 2023-2024 work plan, 205 more positions were added for this purpose.”
It also said that around NIS 45 million have been invested in community security activities in Arab municipalities.
The ministry added that additional efforts, including cooperation with local authorities and implementation of new technology, are being made and that negotiations with the Finance Ministry for budgets to combat crime are taking place.