Jerusalem, 25 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — For the first time, a permanent law making local police forces official was implemented.

In Israel, the police are a national law enforcement agency. However, in recent years larger cities have implemented their own local law enforcement departments, which have now been made official under an Israeli law enacted on July 14, 2025.

The Ministry of National Security, through the Directorate of Local Enforcement Systems, operates the Local Policing Program – an integrated enforcement system that includes municipal policing and supervision forces, operating in full coordination between local authorities and the Israel Police. The goal of the program is to deter, prevent, and enforce quality of life offenses and reduce violence in the public sphere, while providing a rapid response to incidents and strengthening residents’ sense of personal security.

Currently, 102 local policing units are deployed throughout the country, with the following sectoral distribution: 60 units in the general sector, 7 units in mixed cities, 23 units in the non-Jewish sector, 9 units in regional councils and 3 units in the Haredi sector. The total manpower is approximately 1,200 police officers, along with approximately 1,200 police inspectors.

Jerusalem, 25 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reported that, in cooperation with the Shin Bet (Israel’s anti-terror General Security Service), it recently attacked a terrorist in the Nazriya area in Lebanon. No further details, such as who the terrorist was, were provided.

Jerusalem, 25 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — IDF (Israel Defense Forces) reported that last night four members of a terrorist cell that was planning to carry out an attack were arrested by soldiers from its Duvdevan (Cherry) anti-terror special forces unit. The four were captured in the area of Kfar Jayus, a town located just to the east of the Israeli city Kfar Saba.

The arrests came as part of an anti-terror operation conducted in several villages in Samaria.

In addition, Paratrooper Brigade fighters operated in the villages of Kifl Haret and Deir Istiya and arrested three terrorists who threw stones at a central road.

The wanted individuals who were arrested were transferred to the Shin Bet (Israel’s anti-terror General Security Service) for further investigation.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Northern District Committee has approved the Ministry of Construction and Housing’s plan for the establishment of the new neighborhood in Safed to be called the “Southern Gate.”

Located on the southern slopes of the city, south of the Razim neighborhood and north of Highway 89, the new neighborhood will include 4,000 housing units, for a population of approximately 20,000 residents, as well as an urban center that includes areas for employment, commerce, public institutions, and an urban park.

A system of green corridors will be built in the new neighborhood that connects the residential areas with a comfortable walk, with the aim of increasing walkability in the neighborhood.

The construction in the plan consists of a diverse residential mix, with approximately 800 units (20%) up to 80 square meters in size, 2,000 units (50%) 80-105 square meters in size, and an additional 1,200 units over 120 units in size, approximately 300 of which will allow for the construction of residential buildings. Approximately 260 kindergarten classrooms and schools are planned in the neighborhood, in addition, 16,500 square meters have been allocated for commercial space and approximately 33,000 square meters for employment and offices.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — In January-November 2025, 426 people were killed in road accidents on Israel’s roads – 32 more Deaths than the same period in 2024. In November 2025, the number of road accidents and the number of casualties were lower compared to November 2024 and compared to the average for November in 2021-2023, but the number of fatal accidents and fatalities was higher. This is according to data released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

Road accidents with injuries that occurred in November 2025 compared to November 2024 and compared to the monthly average for November in 2021-2023:

In November 2025, 30 people were killed, nine more deaths compared to November 2024 (21), and two more deaths compared to the monthly average for November in 2021-2023 (28) – an increase of 40.1%.

The total number of accidents was 503, a decrease of 16.3% compared to November 2024 (601) and a decrease of 36.7% compared to the monthly average for November in 2021-2023 (795).

The number of seriously injured was 167, a decrease of 21.6% compared to November 2024 (213) and a decrease of 22.7% compared to the November average in 2021-2023 (216).

The number of casualties was 799, a 19.5% decrease compared to November 2024 (993) and a decrease of 40.1% compared to the monthly average for November in 2021-2023 (1,335).

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Ministry of Transportation is accelerating the construction of high-speed rail lines from Haifa to Shefayim (north of Tel Aviv) and from Ben Gurion Airport to Be’er Sheva.

The high-speed rails will allow travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h and travel within 30 minutes from Tel Aviv to Haifa, and from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva.

The project will include new stations, upgrading infrastructure along the route, preparations for a future connection to the Ben Gurion Airport- Shefayim high-speed rail, and completing preparations for the start of work on the ground.

In addition, the government approved the promotion of the Be’er Sheva-Ben Gurion Airport tracks, which includes the construction of two new high-speed tracks and the upgrade of the Be’er Sheva station. The project will create a fast and accessible connection from the south to the center and Ben-Gor Airport, and will allow travel from Tel Aviv to Be’er Sheva within half an hour. Budgeting was approved to complete the promotion of availability for doubling the tracks, which will allow for a transition to an advanced performance phase.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Environmental launched a national information campaign today, Wednesday, as part of the Quiet Cities program, which aims to reduce noise pollution from vehicles and improve the quality of life and health of residents.

The campaign was produced through the Government Advertising Bureau (GAB) and will be broadcast to the general public, to Haredi society, to Arab society, as well as in Russian and Amharic, on television, radio, digitally and on social media.

As part of the campaign, the Ministry of Environmental Protection seeks to raise public awareness of the issue of noise pollution and the personal responsibility of each of us. The main message of the campaign is to inform the public that noise pollution from vehicles will be enforced by technological means of cameras and noise detectors that will be placed in a variety of authorities. The goal is to reduce noise from vehicles and keep public spaces quiet and pleasant for everyone.

Polluting and noisy vehicles directly harm the quality of life and public health. Studies indicate that exposure to noise causes physical and mental damage, including hearing damage, increased morbidity, psychological effects, and decreased cognitive function and work productivity. Environmental noise is currently considered one of the main environmental risks to public health and is a source of concern among residents and policymakers.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — On Christmas Eve 2025, there are approximately 184,200 Christians living in Israel , which is roughly (1.9%) of the Israeli population. This is according to the data on Israel’s Christian communities published by the Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of Christmas.

In 2024, the Christian population grew by 0.7%.

78.7% of Christians in Israel are Arab Christians, 6.8% of the total Arab population in Israel.

Most Arab Christians live in the Northern District and Haifa District (68.3% and 14.7%, respectively).

42.0% of non-Arab Christians live in the Tel Aviv District and the Central District, 33.9% in the Northern District and the Haifa District.

The localities with the largest Arab Christian population are: Nazareth (18.9 thousand), Haifa (18.8 thousand), Jerusalem (13,400) and Nof HaGalil (10,800).

In 2024, 2,134 babies were born to Christian women, of whom about 73% were to Arab Christian women (1,568 newborns).

The average household size in Christian-headed households was estimated at 2.89 persons, lower than Jewish-headed households (3.02) and Muslim-headed households (4.35).

The average number of children up to the age of 17 in Christian families with children up to that age was 1.97, of which 1.98 in Arab Christian families. These figures are low compared to Jewish families (2.45) and Muslim families (2.58).

Education and enlightenment

In the 2024/25 school year, 26,240 Christian students studied in elementary and secondary education , representing 1.3% of all students.

87.7% of Christian students in 12th grade in 2023/24 were eligible for a matriculation certificate .

52.6% of Arab Christians and 30.3% of non-Arab Christians continued their undergraduate studies within 8 years of graduating from high school , compared to only 34.4% of all high school graduates in Arab education and 47.3% of all high school graduates in Hebrew education.

In 2024/25, there were 6,700 Christian students registered in higher education studies, which is 2.2% of all students in higher education institutions in Israel. In addition to them, another 500 Christian students studied at the Open University.

Jerusalem, 24 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — As part of a nationwide investigation operation, a resident of Nazareth, a resident of Be’er Sheva, and a resident of Holon were investigated by the Israel Tax Authority on suspicion of concealing crypto income totaling tens of millions of Shekels.

Igor Shargorodsky, a resident of Holon, is suspected of operating in virtual currency trading arenas abroad in large volumes in the years 2020-2024 and did not report to the tax authorities. It is also suspected that he did not report income he had from companies abroad and overall evaded reporting income totaling tens of millions of Shekels.

Another suspect being investigated is Aviv Dahan Bilevsky, a resident of Beer Sheva, who was questioned by the Jerusalem and Southern Investigations Assessment Officer. The investigation material suggests that in 2022, Bilevsky began trading cryptocurrencies and NFTs using digital wallets he owned and even presented himself as an expert in the field on social media.

According to the suspicion, between 2022 and 2025, the suspect carried out trading activities worth approximately $7 million, and did not report them to the tax authorities.

Additionally, as part of an investigation by the Haifa and Northern Investigations Tax Assessor in cooperation with the Northern Police Chief, a Nazareth resident named Ibrahim Zoabi was arrested on suspicion of evading income and violating the Money Laundering Prohibition Law.