ISTANBUL (AA) / Zein Khalil

- Netanyahu government approved a plan to involve the Shin Bet in fighting crime among Palestinian citizens of Israel, with funding diverted from a plan to develop Palestinian society

- Ofer Dagan, co-executive director of Sikkuy-Aufoq, said the decision represents a deep infringement on the engines of development in Arab society and may violate human rights without oversight mechanisms

- Human rights lawyer Elsa Bonnier: Insistence by government members on involving the Shin Bet represents an opportunistic exploitation of the crime crisis among Arab citizens whom the police have neglected for years

The Israeli government approved a plan to involve the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in fighting crime among Palestinian citizens of Israel, with funding diverted from a plan dedicated to developing Palestinian society.

The move drew human rights and civil criticism warning against expanding the security agency's powers at the expense of basic rights, and weakening economic and social programs designated for Palestinian society.

The development was revealed on Wednesday evening by a joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Social Equality Minister May Golan, and extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

According to the statement, 497 million shekels ($165.94 million) will be allocated for what it described as "an unprecedented national step to combat crime organizations in the Arab sector."

It explained that the funding will be diverted from "Five-Year Plan No. 550 for the development of Arab society."

Of the total amount, approximately 364.5 million shekels ($121.70 million) will be allocated to establish a new specialized unit in the Shin Bet and develop its technological and intelligence capabilities.

Additionally, about 132.4 million shekels ($44.21 million) will be allocated to establish a national police unit and fund advanced technologies and operational means.

** Rights criticism

The plan drew sharp criticism from Israeli human rights and civil organizations.

Ofer Dagan, co-executive director of Sikkuy-Aufoq, an organization that advocates for equality between Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel, said the decision represents "a deep and unacceptable infringement on the engines of development and growth in Arab society."

According to an official Israeli count, the number of Palestinian citizens of Israel is 2,157,000, or 21.1% of the total population of over 10,244,000.

Palestinians in the territories occupied in 1948 complain that successive Israeli governments have marginalized, excluded, and neglected them in terms of rights, economy, and politics.

Dagan added that this development "sharply weakens the economic, social, and cultural infrastructure of Arab society, creating a fertile environment for the continued growth of crime organizations," according to Haaretz newspaper.

Dagan expressed concern over expanding the Shin Bet's powers and increasing its interference in citizens' affairs.

He also warned against its use of exceptional means "that may be more detrimental to human rights, and are not subject to the same oversight, transparency, and civil rights protection mechanisms that apply to police work."

Lawyer Elsa Bonnier, from the Association for Civil Rights, also criticized the involvement of the Shin Bet in fighting crime among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

She warned that this development "is expected to lead to a serious violation of the basic rights of all Arab citizens, while the police handle organized crime within Jewish society."

She considered that the insistence by government members on involving the Shin Bet represents "an opportunistic exploitation of the crime crisis in Arab society and the suffering of Arab citizens whom the police have neglected for years."

** Escalation of crime

Violence among Palestinian citizens of Israel has reached unprecedented levels, with 144 people killed in the first half of 2026, compared to 128 in the same period last year, according to the Walla website.

In January of last year, Knesset member Ayman Odeh accused Netanyahu and Ben Gvir of negligence in fighting crime among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Netanyahu has been wanted since 2024 to appear before the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians during the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza that began in 2023.

Odeh told the state broadcaster at the time that the state is responsible for dealing with unlicensed weapons and organized crime, questioning why 2,600 murders have occurred since 2000.

In 1948, Israel was established on lands seized by armed Zionist militias that committed massacres and displaced at least 750,000 Palestinians. Israel then occupied the rest of Palestinian territories and refuses to withdraw or allow the establishment of a Palestinian state as stipulated in UN resolutions.