As part of the coalition agreement between the Likud and Otzma Yehudit, it was agreed on the establishment of a special unit in the Shin Bet to deal with crime in the Arab sector. The former head of the Shin Bet, Ya’akov Perry, spoke this morning (Friday) with Guy Peleg on 103FM on the subject.
Immunity for IDF soldiers and imprisonment for protection: the main points of the agreement between Otzma Yehudit and Likud
“First of all, I think that in general this decision is correct. Because the intelligence capabilities of the Shin Bet, and the collection capabilities, are really much greater and much more sophisticated compared to the capabilities of the Israel Police. At the same time, I certainly express surprise because the security service is not a body, how shall I put it gently, loved by Itamar Ben Gvir. Itamar was for years a target of the Shin Bet, and one of his and his entourage’s statements is that the Jewish division of the Shin Bet should be abolished. Therefore, on the one hand, the decision, I think, is the right decision, but its implementation will be a problematic implementation. The security service will have to prepare for criminal collection and this is not an easy task. These are targets and crime families in the Arab-Israeli sector and we need to learn about them, and study them,” Perry began his words.
- Happy Holiday of Lights: these are the times for lighting the fourth candle of Hanukkah
When Peleg mentioned that the Shin Bet’s investigations are not documented, Perry replied: “You are absolutely right because really gathering criminal evidence requires a procedure that you can then bring to court, and convict those who deserve to be convicted. This is a different procedure, not completely, but different from the usual work of the security service. Therefore, the evaluations will take a long time and may also be problematic in terms of the perception of Israeli Arabs. The security service is accepted among Israeli Arabs as someone who looks for the enemies, the terrorists, and those who seek to harm the security of the State of Israel. The criminal structure, the amount of weapons found in the Arab sector, and the like is another story. It’s much broader, it’s much deeper, and there may also be a problem that people with a good heart will wake up, and also many who are less good-hearted will wake up and say that there is a danger to democracy here.”
When asked about the social implications of the decision, Perry replied: “It could certainly be a risk, and it cannot be ignored. Although the American example, the FBI, for example, handles security and criminal offenses, it works quite well. Here we are a smaller and very intimate country, and the impression can definitely be made With the Israeli Arabs, we mark all Israeli Arabs as a criminal risk and they won’t like that. It’s a risk that needs to be taken into account. It’s not just in the name of democracy. It’s a so-called – everyday matter that needs to be taken into account.”
“In the end, the vast majority of the weapons stockpiled in the Arab sector are intended for personal purposes, and some for criminal purposes. A minority, a very small minority, is intended and used for terrorist purposes. I think it’s really a fraction of a few percent. By the way, it doesn’t change the fact that once the Arab sector is full of weapons It is available to the terrorist, and available to the playlist,” Perry concluded.
Assisted in the preparation of the article: Eden Ben Ari, 103FM