Live Update arrow right icon From the Liveblog of Sunday, December 28, 2025

Stone-throwing protesters greet Ben Gvir on tour of Bedouin town raided by cops

By Charlie Summers 28 December 2025, 12:58 pm
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is accosted by stone-throwing protesters during a visit to the Bedouin village of Tarabin al-Sana today, following a string of police raids on the town over the weekend.

Law enforcement arrested three residents yesterday suspected of setting fire and causing damage to cars in nearby Jewish locales, in what police said was “revenge” for another overnight raid on the Bedouin town.

The far-right minister arrives under heavy security in the village. Police respond to the stone-throwing by deploying tear gas and arresting several people, Ynet reports. Police have not yet commented on how many were detained. No injuries are reported.

“These criminals thought that they would send me a message, that they would do a ‘price tag,'” the far-right minister says as he walks with his security detail, using a term typically used to refer to settler violence carried out in retaliation for Palestinian attacks.

Under heavy guard, he tells reporters he is not cowed and vows to keep returning to the town.

Video shared by Channel 12 news shows cops scuffling with locals as Ben Gvir talks with a man in Arab garb nearby.

Police over the past month have been ramping up their presence in the Negev, raiding Bedouin towns in an effort to crack down on violent crime, arms smuggling and traffic violations.

The operation, dubbed New Order, has angered many residents, who claim that military-style raids and checkpoints placed at the entrances to towns are eroding their rights as citizens.

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