SAFA - The Israeli government has officially approved the involvement of the Israeli General Security Service, known as the Shin Bet, in efforts to “combat crime” within the Palestinian society in the occupied territories inside Israel.

The decision is part of a joint plan with the Israeli police, with a budget of approximately 567 million shekels.

The plan has drawn criticism over its funding mechanism, as allocations originally designated for developing Palestinian communities and reducing long-standing social and economic gaps will reportedly be redirected toward security and policing measures. These funds were previously allocated to key sectors, including education, social welfare, and the judiciary.

The move has faced widespread opposition from human rights and political organizations in Israel, as well as groups working on Palestinian affairs.

Among those opposing the decision is the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which rejected the measure, arguing that the Shin Bet is a security and intelligence agency and that involving it in criminal matters is not authorized by law.

Security Control Under the Pretext of Fighting Crime

Political analyst specializing in Israeli affairs Anton Shalhat said the decision primarily aims to deepen the monitoring and targeting of Palestinians inside Israel.

Speaking to Safa Agency, Shalhat said the involvement of the Shin Bet is deliberate and aims to restrict Palestinian political and national activity under the pretext of combating crime. He argued that widespread crime among Palestinian citizens is largely the result of Israeli policies of neglect and complicity.

Shalhat noted that previous government initiatives claiming to allocate funds to fight crime have failed to reduce violence, saying this demonstrates a lack of genuine commitment to addressing the issue.

He added that because the Israeli system views Palestinians inside Israel as “second-class citizens” and treats them as a “hostile camp,” the situation could worsen following the Shin Bet’s involvement.

Rather than addressing the underlying causes of crime or dismantling criminal networks, Shalhat says that giving an intelligence agency a role in Palestinians' daily lives will probably concentrate on political surveillance, suppressing national activities, and increasing monitoring and arrests.

More than 240 Palestinians inside Israel have been killed since the beginning of this year amid accusations that Israeli forces have contributed to the spread of weapons and criminal gangs, damaging Palestinian social cohesion. Over the past five years, dozens of Palestinians have been killed amid a continuing wave of crime that has intensified since the start of this year.