State comptroller: Shin Bet and police failed during Guardian of the Walls riots

A car set on fire by Arab Israeli residents during riots in the central Israeli town of Lod, on May 11, 2021. (Yossi Aloni/FLASH90)
A car set on fire by Arab Israeli residents during riots in the central Israeli town of Lod, on May 11, 2021. (Yossi Aloni/FLASH90)

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman says police and the Shin Bet failed in their duties during last year’s riots between Jewish and Arab communities, which took place during a major conflict between the IDF and terror groups in Gaza.

“The violent riots during the Guardian of the Walls revealed major deficiencies in the activities of the [security] regime,” Englman writes, adding the failures seriously damaged Israelis’ security.

One of the glaring failures outlined by the report is the lack of police response to almost 3,000 calls made to the 100 emergency number between May 11 and 13 May, while approximately 4,000 others were left without a meaningful response.

Englman also says that he found significant flaws in the division of responsibilities between the Shin Bet and police, which contributed to intelligence gaps.

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