Netanyahu admits southern Israel is out of control, vows to restore order

“The Negev is running wild” – Prime Minister Netanyahu visits southern Israel, vowing major changes to rein in rampant criminal activity, violence, and weapon- smuggling that have plagued parts of the area for years.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conceded Wednesday that large swaths of southern Israel are “wild,” with rampant weapons smuggling, organized crime, and violence in parts of the Negev.

Netanyahu led a delegation of senior government and security officials to the Negev, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Shin Bet chief David Zini, Israel Police Inspector General Kobi Shabtai, and IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Amir Baram.

The visit was organized following a string of attacks by members of Arab crime families from the town of Tarabin, near Rahat, against neighboring Jewish communities.

The attacks, which included arson and vandalism, came after police cracked down on crime syndicates in Tarabin, arresting suspects wanted for smuggling and violent assault.

The tour was also prompted by growing concerns of weapons smuggling into Israel by Bedouin gun runners operating near the Egyptian border, coordinating their efforts with tribesmen in the Sinai Peninsula.

Using drone aircraft, the smugglers have been monitored transferring drugs and weapons – including heavy machine guns and sniper rifles – across the border.

During the trip, security officials updated Netanyahu and the ministers on police enforcement efforts against the smuggling and possession of illegal weapons in the south, including recent seizures of weapons and counter-smuggling operations carried out by police forces in the area and along the borders.

Netanyahu used the visit to promote a large-scale plan drafted by the Prime Minister’s Office to combat crime and strengthen governmental authority in the Negev.

The proposal would expand towns in the Negev and promote population growth in Israel’s most sparsely populated region; develop new economic zones, improve civilian infrastructure, and address security concerns.

The prime minister said that the visit had “one purpose – we are coming to return the Negev to the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu acknowledged that the “Negev is running wild,” while pledging to restore “law and order.”

“We will rein it in, and an important operation by the Israel Police, in integration with other forces, has begun. To rein it in, we must understand that the criminal threat and the security threat have merged into one, with tens of thousands of weapons, with drones crossing borders, and other threats.”

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