Municipal leaders in Israel’s Arab sector are escalating their criticism of state institutions and presenting clear demands for tackling the rising wave of crime and violence.
In an interview with “Kol al-Arab," the mayor of Kafr Qara, Firas Badhi, and the head of the Reineh Local Council, Jamil Basoul, placed responsibility for the security situation on national authorities and expressed support for involving the Shin Bet security service in operations against criminal organizations.
The two called on the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor’s Office to introduce legislative changes that would allow for stronger deterrence measures.
Badhi and Basoul strongly rejected allegations directed at them claiming that municipal budgets end up in the hands of crime gangs. “If these claims are true, where is the Interior Ministry, which is involved with us in every small and large matter?" they said.
On the political level, the local leaders described the upcoming elections as “fateful" and warned against a scenario of political fragmentation.
According to them, failure to support a united Arab list could lead to “catastrophic" consequences for Arab society and ensure that MKs Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir remain in the next government. They stated that they intend to work actively on the ground to increase voter turnout in the Arab sector.