Smotrich to Arab MKs: It’s not the government’s fault ‘you murder one another’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich entered into a shouting match with Arab lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon, yelling that it is not the government’s fault that “you murder one another,” during a heated meeting of the Knesset Finance Committee.

The far-right minister shouted at MK Iman Khatib-Yassin and other Arab lawmakers after she argued that his proposed 1.5 percent property tax on vacant land would harm members of Arab society who own property but cannot afford to develop it, and accused the government of failing to take responsibility for rampant violence in the community.

In response, Smotrich asked if the government is “also to blame for the fact that you murder one another,” prompting opposition lawmakers to shout that he was “disgusting” and a “racist.”

“Shame, shame, shame,” yelled Khatib-Yassin, while Yisrael Beytenu MK Hamad Amar said that the government took “no responsibility” for the rising death toll.

“Educate your public to stop murdering,” shouted Smotrich. “Let’s start with you condemning terror and condemning violence. Define Hamas as a terror organization.”

Violent killings have been rampant in Arab cities and towns over the past decade, but the issue worsened considerably in 2023 when the number of homicides jumped to 244, doubling the previous year’s figure of 116. The tally dipped slightly in 2024 before reaching new heights last year, when 252 people were murdered.

This year stands to be even deadlier if killings continue at their current pace. According to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog, 51 Arabs have been killed in Israel so far in 2026. The spiraling homicide rate in Arab society is largely fueled by mafia-style organized crime.

Local politicians and religious figures have denounced the crime sweeping their communities, but most place blame on law enforcement, accusing police of neglecting to solve homicides when the victims are Arab. A major target of popular ire has been National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, with Arab Israelis insisting the far-right politician’s oversight of police has led to worsening neglect of Arab towns by law enforcement.

Last month, following weeks of daily protests and strikes in the Arab community, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Tel Aviv in an outpouring of frustration against the government.

In 2022, when Smotrich and Ben Gvir were in the opposition and their parties were merged ahead of that year’s elections, both led a campaign blaming the government for the rampant killings in the Arab community, vowing to “restore governance” in areas with significant Arab populations and crime rates, such as the Galilee and the Negev.

A controversial reform

Tuesday’s confrontation in the Knesset came as Smotrich is trying to advance a series of economic reforms tied to the 2026 state budget, including opening up the banking sector, loosening tariffs on dairy imports, as well as imposing an NIS 30 ($10) tax on e-cigarettes, marking the first attempt by an Israeli government to regulate the burgeoning market.

Addressing the committee, Smotrich said that “there is no good tax. I wish we could not collect taxes at all, but we are always looking for the least bad tax… otherwise the deficit will increase and it will cost more for the citizens of Israel.”

Hitting back, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni argued that Smotrich’s economic reforms would do nothing to lower the cost of living and “will only severely harm people whose economic situation is difficult.”

The new tax also came under criticism from Ilan Gordo of the Contractors Association, who told the committee that it is unfair that when builders purchase land but cannot build for years because of red tape, they will have to pay taxes on the unused land.