Israel launches plan to fight crime in Arab society

The plan aims at fighting crime in Arab towns to "restore safety to the streets of the towns and villages" of the Arab minority, Commissioner of Israel Police Kobi Shabtai said in public remarks alongside Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday. 

Bennett said that years of negligence of policing and infrastructures led to "out-of-control shooting in the streets and violence" in Arab communities, adding that his new government "is determined to take action and wage an unceasing, constant and persistent fight against crime and violence in the Arab society". 

A new police branch dedicated to foiling crime in the Arab communities has been established, Bennett said. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the police carried out "Operation Sword Strike" to seize illegal weapons in over 200 sites throughout Israel, he added. 

Arab citizens in Israel are Palestinians who did not leave their land during the 1948 war that broke out just in the wake of the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel. 

They comprise about 20 per cent of Israel's 9 million population. 

Official figures show they suffer a lack of job opportunities and less government spending on education, health, and infrastructure.