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Israeli gov't approves plan to move over half a billion shekels from Arab sector to Shin Bet

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The Israeli government approved a plan to transfer NIS 497 million from a budget for Arab sector development to the Shin Bet security agency.
  • The funds will establish a specialized Shin Bet unit to combat illegal weapons smuggling and bolster police capabilities against Arab sector crime.
  • Arab rights organizations are protesting the move, arguing it diverts funds meant for social and economic development and that alternative funding sources exist.

The Israeli government has approved a plan to reallocate approximately NIS 497 million from a budget aimed at reducing socioeconomic gaps in the Arab sector to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). The initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aims to integrate Shin Bet agents into the Israeli Police to combat illegal weapons smuggling and enhance law enforcement's intelligence and operational capacities.

About NIS 364.5 million will go to the Shin Bet for a specialized unit targeting illicit arms trafficking, with an additional NIS 35 million for personnel recruitment. The Israel Police will receive approximately NIS 132.4 million to establish a dedicated unit focused on Arab sector crime and to expand its technological and operational reach.

The government’s conduct is tainted by bad faith, extreme unreasonableness, and arbitrary governance, alongside ultra vires action, breach of a governmental promise, and harm to the right to equality.

— Suha Salman MusaCo-director of the Mossawa Center, criticizing the government's plan to reallocate funds.

This budget reallocation has drawn sharp criticism from Arab rights organizations. The Mossawa Center for the Rights of Arab Citizens appealed to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General to halt the plan, citing legal action if it proceeds. The center argues that the government is using funds intended for social and economic development to finance law enforcement, exacerbating inequality. Mossawa also pointed to an existing NIS 750 million budget balance under a different government decision specifically designed to fight crime in the Arab community, suggesting these funds could be used instead.

"The government’s conduct is tainted by bad faith, extreme unreasonableness, and arbitrary governance," stated Suha Salman Musa, co-director of Mossawa. She contended that diverting funds from decision 550, which aims to narrow gaps, is "dangerous, unequal, and irresponsible." The organization believes this move undermines efforts to address the root causes of crime by instead cutting into budgets meant for civilian development.

The attempt to harm the budgets of decision 550 is dangerous, unequal, and irresponsible.

— Suha Salman MusaCo-director of the Mossawa Center, further elaborating on the negative impact of the budget diversion.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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