The proposal now on the government\u2019s table has broader significance than the amount alone suggests. If approved, it would signal a shift in the government\u2019s priorities toward Arab society: Resources intended for economic development, employment, and narrowing gaps would instead be directed to enforcement, intelligence, and security activity against criminal organizations.<\/p>\n
The budget is to be taken from government decision 550, which was approved in 2021 to reduce economic and social gaps between Arab society and the rest of the population. The plan includes budgets for employment, vocational training, education, transportation, infrastructure, industrial zones, and strengthening local authorities.<\/p>\n
According to a statement from Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, the combined budget allocated to the Shin Bet<\/a> and the police will amount to about NIS 567 million.<\/p>\n The sum now being brought for approval differs from the amounts mentioned in recent weeks. Earlier, amounts ranging from NIS 1 billion to NIS 1.3 billion were discussed, and an internal government document examined the possibility of diverting up to NIS 1.4 billion from the five-year plan\u2019s budgets. The proposal to be discussed now is smaller in scope and stands at about NIS 568 million.<\/p>\n The money is intended to finance expanded intelligence and enforcement capabilities against criminal organizations, weapons smuggling, arms trafficking, extortion, and criminal takeovers of tenders and local authorities. The plan also includes strengthening intelligence units, expanding Lahav 433 operations, and developing technological tools to deal with criminal organizations.<\/p>\n The Shin Bet inclusion could help solve criminal cases in Arab society<\/p>\n National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir<\/a> and Social Equality Minister May Golan are presenting the inclusion of the Shin Bet in the move as a necessary step in light of the number of people murdered and the low rate of solved cases in Arab society.<\/p>\n Government sources clarify that the service is not supposed to replace the police in investigating routine criminal offenses and that its activity will focus mainly on weapons smuggling, criminal organizations, and incidents with a security connection. So far, the full scope of the powers to be exercised and the exact division of the budget among the Shin Bet, the police, and other bodies have not been made public.<\/p>\n In the urgent letter, Mossawa argued that the government seeks to finance the fight against crime with funds intended to address the social and economic conditions that allow it to spread.<\/p>\n According to Salem Abbasi, head of the socioeconomic unit at the center, diverting budgets intended to address long-standing discrimination undermines the principle of equality, the binding status of decision 550, and the social and economic goals set out in it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision will lead to widening gaps, weakening prevention mechanisms, and deepening the structural conditions that fuel crime and violence,\u201d Abbasi wrote.<\/p>\n In his view, cutting employment, training, and development programs could increase idleness, weaken local authorities, and reduce the options open to young people exposed to the influence of criminal organizations.<\/p>\n![\"Mossawa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/729814.jpeg\"\/)
Mossawa Center works on empowering Arab youth. (credit: Screenshot\/Mossawa Center)<\/p>\n