Violent protests erupt as Ben Gvir tours Bedouin town targeted in police raids
Officers arrest 2, use tear gas in clashes with disgruntled protesters railing against far-right minister’s visit, in wake of overnight vandalism in nearby Jewish towns
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was accosted by stone-throwing protesters during a visit to the Bedouin village of Tarabin al-Sana on Sunday, following a string of police raids on the town over the weekend.
Law enforcement on Saturday arrested three residents suspected of setting fire and causing damage to cars in nearby Jewish locales, in what police said had been “revenge” for an earlier overnight raid by police in the town.
Even before the far-right minister arrived in the village under heavy security, youths threw stones at police officers, who responded by deploying tear gas. Two people were arrested in the clashes, police told The Times of Israel.
Ben Gvir was accompanied to the village by Israel Police chief Danny Levy, Southern District commander Haim Boublil and large police forces.
“These criminals thought that they would send me a message, that they would do a ‘price tag,'” the far-right minister said as he walked with his security detail, using a term typically used to refer to settler violence carried out in retaliation for Palestinian attacks.
Video shared by Channel 12 news showed cops scuffling with locals as Ben Gvir talked with a man in Arab garb nearby.
עימותים נרשמו בזמן סיור של השר לביטחון לאומי בן גביר ביישוב הבדואי תארבין@bokeralmog pic.twitter.com/N10AbPM9pN
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) December 28, 2025
Under heavy guard, he told reporters he was not cowed and vowed to keep returning to the town.
In a statement, Ben Gvir said that Bedouin towns had “gotten used to there being no police and no rule of law,” and that “everyone does as he pleases.”
“That is over. Finally there is a police force here that functions and responds,” he said.
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 Ben Gvir is working to erode their rights as citizens. Bedouin leaders have claimed, contrary to the minister, that their towns lack a consistent police presence.
Instead, they have claimed that security forces — including police counter-terror units and Border Police fighters — conduct surprise, army-style raids and place checkpoints at the entrances to their towns, punishing law-abiding citizens alongside criminals.
Ben Gvir touted the cinderblocks that police have erected at the entrances to Bedouin towns throughout the Negev, while insisting to reporters that the operation he’s spearheading “isn’t collective punishment, but governance.”
“This is the State of Israel. Period. Those who don’t like it, fantastic — they can go drink the water in Gaza,” the minister said to the cameras.
Speaking to the Ynet news outlet, Alaa, a resident of Tarabin al-Sana, said, “It makes no sense to blame us [residents] for everything that goes on in the village.”
“I blame Ben Gvir for this situation. You want to catch criminals? Go in and arrest them. What are these checkpoints for? Where are we, in the territories?” he said, referring to the West Bank.
Speaking about the apparent revenge operation by Bedouin residents in the neighboring Jewish towns of Giv’ot Bar and Mishmar Hanegev, the man told Ynet that he has friends in the former town, and condemned the vandalism.
Channel 12 reported that Southern District police had received instructions forbidding them from traveling solo along Route 310, which runs past Tarabin al-Sana, for safety reasons.
The report quoted text message instructions from an unnamed commander. The text messages, according to Channel 12, instructed officers to travel in groups of six to eight. They were also forbidden from entering Tarabin al-Sana.
According to Channel 12, police have long been wary of entering or going near Tarabin al-Sana. The outlet aired footage appearing to show that during the police’s Friday raid, protesters managed to run cops out of the town. Police denied these claims.
“The claim regarding the ‘flight’ of forces is a complete distortion of reality,” police said, insisting that the officers achieved their aims in the town and then “left the area in a controlled manner.”
The force added: “Safety precautions, heightened force preparedness, and operational deployment are an essential part of professional and responsible policing, particularly in challenging areas.”
The Times of Israel Community.