Ariel Kahana reports in Israel Hayom that the Shin Bet's Jewish Division has quadrupled its activity, with Shin Bet personnel now personally conducting arrests among settlers for the first time. Kahana reveals that the division carried out 70 special operations in settlements in the first half of 2026, compared to 15 in the same period last year.
The report, published Friday morning by senior Israel Hayom correspondent Ariel Kahana, offers an unprecedented look at the expanded role of the Shin Bet's Jewish Division in enforcement within Israeli settlements. The division, which handles cases of Jewish terrorism and violence against Palestinians, has seen its operational tempo surge: 70 special operations in the first half of 2026 versus 15 in the same period last year. Kahana also notes that Shin Bet agents are now conducting arrests themselves among settlers, marking a shift from the traditional reliance on police or Border Police. As The Zioneer has previously covered, Kahana has broken multiple stories on security and counterterrorism operations. The figures come amid heightened scrutiny of Shin Bet activity in Judea and Samaria, though the report does not specify the nature of the operations or the targets of the arrests. The data is drawn from internal Shin Bet figures cited by Kahana, and has not been independently confirmed. The implications for civil-military relations in the settlement enterprise remain unclear.
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