Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and May Golan announced Monday evening that they have secured a dedicated budget of more than NIS 500 million for the Shin Bet security service to combat organized crime in Arab society. The move, subject to government approval, would mark a major policy shift — deploying the Shin Bet alongside police against criminal organizations, after years in which the agency was not formally tasked with this mission.
Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and May Golan announced Monday evening that they have secured a dedicated budget of more than NIS 500 million for the Shin Bet to combat organized crime in Arab society. The announcement came after The Zioneer reported earlier in the evening (at 20:43 and 21:07 Jerusalem) that the government had formalized the allocation, diverting funds from several ministries. The move, subject to government approval, marks a major policy shift — deploying the Shin Bet alongside police against criminal organizations, after years in which the agency was not formally tasked with this mission.
The development caps a rapid sequence of reports Monday evening. At 20:43, journalists first reported the Shin Bet's entry and the NIS 500 million budget. Within minutes, government secretary Yossi Fuchs formally confirmed the allocation, and by 21:07 The Zioneer published a full article. The ministers' own announcement later in the evening placed the decision in a political context: they said the previous Shin Bet director had refused to take on this role, but the incoming director is expected to advance the plan, pending cabinet approval.
The broader thread dates back to late June. As The Zioneer reported on Jun 28, the police commissioner's flagship anti-crime plan for the Arab sector was shelved due to budget constraints. The following day (Jun 29), Police Commissioner Danny Levi declared fighting Arab crime a 'top-tier national mission.' On Jul 4, the first reports emerged that the government would allocate funds to the Shin Bet for this purpose — a first for the agency. Analyst Dr. Doron Matza (301), as cited by The Zioneer on Jul 4, described the shift as marking the end of the 'economic peace' era that had prevailed since the 1990s.
The ministers' statement did not specify a timeline for government approval or operational deployment. It remains unclear when the Shin Bet will begin operations, and whether the full NIS 500 million will reach the agency given the diversion from other ministries.
11 developments
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- StrongFinance Ministry greenlights immediate 15b shekel transfer to defense budget
- Developing301 Analyst: Shin Bet shift on Arab crime marks end of 'economic peace' era
Source and signal
- Internal intake