The burglary by the Bedouin car thief at Nevatim Air Force base once again raises the lawlessness plaguing the area. Is it even possible to restore Israeli sovereignty to the Negev?
Former Air Force Col. Res. Knesset Member Matan Kahane addressed the issue in an interview with Arutz Sheva: "I commanded a squadron at the base and lived there for a total of four years. A huge base the size of Tel Aviv. This incident needs to be addressed on two levels, the functioning of the Air Force and at the national level," says MK Kahane, referring first and foremost to the lawlessness that has become an integral part of what is happening in this area.
"A Bedouin citizen allows himself to steal a vehicle under the noses of the police and he is not deterred enough to plow into an IDF base. This is a difficult governance problem in the Negev and is part of the chaos for which the government is responsible. The Bedouin are not impressed by speeches of the Internal Security Minister. It's a country within a country, crazy chaos."
MK Kahane adds: "It has intensified a lot lately. Everyone builds where they want, pay crazy protection, and there's insane crime. There's no law and no justice. They feel that no one tells them what to do and the law does not apply to them. There is already a succession of six Likud Internal Security Ministers and that's what it looks like."
So what is the right thing to do in the face of the phenomenon? "The solution is a matter of priority, freedom of action should be allowed against serious criminals. Lawbreakers enter IDF bases and steal property, which this time did not happen, but in other cases it happens under the noses of IDF soldiers. IDF soldiers should be allowed to act decisively and firmly in the face of this semi-nationalist crime. We need to end this story and if the government fails to govern, it needs to be replaced."
He said IDF soldiers should also be allowed to fire at the ATV wheels of equipment and weapons thieves from bases. "We must stop the fact that there is a protection racket there and fight this phenomenon. It's utter chaos. It stains an entire population. I walked around the Bedouin diaspora and there are tens of thousands who want to keep the law and live in good neighborly relations and a minority prevents it. It is also in the interest of the Bedouin population."
As for the conduct of the Air Force and the base commanders in the incident itself, Kahane says that he understands "the Air Force security circles worked just fine. The vehicle stopped at the base exit gate because the of the spikes and the thief was forced to abandon and go on foot. All the soldiers were safe and secure. I'm convinced that they are now conducting an in-depth investigation into what failures there were, if there were. This is a Gush Dan-sized base and no equipment has been damaged or stolen. This is not a good incident but I'm convinced the Air Force will learn from it."