Cabinet Delays 600 Million Shekel Arab-Plan Diversion to Police and Shin Bet
Published
Israel's cabinet was set to vote Sunday on diverting nearly 600 million shekels from the government's five-year plan for the Arab sector to the Israel Police and Shin Bet, but Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and May Golan postponed the decision to Tuesday. The reallocation would take funds from Government Decision 550, passed under the previous coalition, and route them toward organized-crime enforcement in Arab-Israeli towns. Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs disclosed the outline earlier this month, with the Shin Bet share exceeding half a billion shekels. Arab-Israeli program directors, including former Economic Development Authority head Hassan Tuafra and Beatzmi director Liat Barush, warned the cuts would shutter employment tracks. Prior cuts under Golan already trimmed the plan by 15 percent, an additional 70 million shekels in transfers and 220 million in November.
Sources
Difference in reporting
Sources factually agree that Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and May Golan pushed to divert funds from Government Decision 550's five-year plan for the Arab sector to the Israel Police and Shin Bet for organized-crime enforcement in Arab-Israeli towns, that the transfer runs through Minister Golan's Ministry of Social Equality authority, and that a cabinet vote was expected imminently. Sources factually disagree on the package size and timing: Ynet reports nearly 600 million shekels are under consideration for a Tuesday vote after a Sunday postponement and cites former Economic Development Authority head Hassan Tuafra and Beatzmi director Liat Barush warning that employment tracks will shutter and budget lines will be eliminated; JPost reports Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs disclosed a Shin Bet share of 500 million shekels with a combined Police and Shin Bet total of 567 million shekels; Times of Israel reports the earlier 220 million shekel tranche approved in November 2025; Israel Hayom and Channel 13 confirm the cross-ministerial cut and detail the Shin Bet-Police crime-fighting framework.
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