A report published today by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman points to a breakdown of effective governance and lack of law enforcement in the Negev, particularly in Bedouin towns.
“It’s on the prime minister to address the issue of the lack of governance in the Negev, a strategic issue with weighty implications for the State of Israel,” writes Englman in the report.
The report reveals that police stations in the southern desert region are consistently understaffed due to law enforcement’s unsuccessful efforts to enlist new recruits in recent years.
This has led to an upsurge in crime, especially when it comes to the collection of “protection” fees, a form of extortion in which criminals blackmail businesses into paying them money under the pretense of security services.
From 2020 to 2024, police launched 1,743 investigations into the collection of protection fees, but only 319 were transferred to the State Attorney’s Office for an indictment to be filed. Another 94 cases are in the process of being closed, per the document.
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From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
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