A budget of about 1 billion shekels for the Shin Bet to join the fight against organized crime in Arab society has received in-principle approval, Channel 12 reports. The final decision now awaits Prime Minister Netanyahu's sign-off. The previous Shin Bet chief opposed the move over concerns of mission creep.
Channel 12 reported Friday evening that a ministerial budget meeting—attended by the cabinet secretary, National Security Ministry representatives, and senior Shin Bet officials—gave in-principle approval to allocate roughly 1 billion shekels for the Shin Bet to formally enter the fight against organized crime in Arab society. The move, first reported by the desk earlier this week, follows the current Shin Bet chief's tentative green light, contingent on a dedicated budget.
A final go-ahead now depends on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal approval. The previous Shin Bet chief had opposed involving the agency in domestic crime-fighting, warning it could open a slippery slope toward expanding its remit into civilian policing.
The budget approval marks a significant step in shifting responsibility for combating criminal organizations in Arab communities from police alone to Israel's domestic security service. The prime minister's office has not yet confirmed when a decision will be announced.
3 developments
- DevelopingNetanyahu approves tens of billions in defense budget increases
- DevelopingNetanyahu orders 350 billion shekel increase to defense budget over the next decade
- DevelopingDozens of LGBTQ, women's, and civil society groups urge Netanyahu to probe Shin Bet chief Zini
- StrongFinance Ministry greenlights immediate 15b shekel transfer to defense budget
Source and signal
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