As mentioned, following a meeting between representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Interior, with the participation of Arab authority heads and the head of the Shabak, it was decided that the funds that the Minister of Finance, Smotrich, announced he would not transfer to the Arab authorities, will be redirected through a mechanism to be established within the Ministry of Interior.
Simultaneously, a package of laws will be advanced that will grant authorities for both criminal and economic enforcement against organized crime groups within the Arab society. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance will immediately allocate tens of millions of shekels for the technological resources required by the Israeli police to enhance enforcement and personal security within the Arab community.
During the course of the meeting, the heads of the Arab authorities agreed to a principle whereby all budgets will be transferred through operational, monitoring, and control mechanisms that ensure the allocation of budgets for the benefit of Arab citizens of Israel, rather than to criminal organizations.
According to the decision, these mechanisms will be formulated and approved by the government within two weeks, and subject to this, the Ministry of Finance will immediately transfer the ongoing budget for 2023 to the Ministry of Interior. This transfer is contingent on the commitment of the Minister of Interior that the budgets will only be transferred to the authorities after the mechanisms have been established.
