National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is en route to the southern Bedouin town of Tarabin al-Sana following a suspected arson attack in a nearby Jewish town overnight.
Five cars went up in flames in Lehavim, an affluent town northeast of Tarabin al-Sana, in what police suspect is arson carried out as revenge for a sweeping raid in the Bedouin village.
The far-right minister is expected to deliver a message at the entrance to Tarabin al-Sana denouncing the “price tag” attack against the police operation that aims to “bring back governance to the Negev,” his office says.
Tensions have been high in the Negev for a month as police crack down on crime in the Bedouin sector, as part of Operation New Order, which Ben Gvir declared in mid-November.
On Monday, hundreds of heavily armed officers entered Tarabin al-Sana in an ongoing raid that has seen 24 arrests so far, including four minors on suspicion of stone-throwing. Residents have complained that the operation constitutes collective punishment.
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