Shin Bet said urging lawmakers to treat proliferation of weapons in Arab communities as national security threat

Shin Bet officials are reportedly urging politicians to treat the proliferation of weapons in Arab society as a national security threat, reports Israel’s Channel 12 News.

According to the report, the agency’s research division authored a document defining the accessibility and quantity of illegal arms in Arab society as “a threat to Israel’s national security” that must be dealt with immediately.

The Shin Bet reportedly fears another outbreak of widespread nationalist violence, akin to the interethnic riots that swept across mixed cities on the backdrop of the 2021 Gaza war.

The document reportedly suggests that in order to deter illegal weapons trafficking, enforcement agencies treat weapons-related offenses as security offenses — a move that would lead to harsher sentencing for the former.

Violent crime in Arab society has spiraled in recent years, claiming 89 lives since the start of 2025. According to the Abraham Initiatives, there has been an 84% jump in the number of Arab sector homicides compared to the same time last year.