Netanyahu Instructs More Urgent Action Taken Against Major Arab Crime Gangs

Jerusalem, 29 May, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday convened the subcommittee for advancing the fight against crime in Arab society, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

At the beginning of the discussion, the members received an overview of the determined actions being taken by all state bodies to eradicate criminal organizations, including city operations, emergency containment, and the Tax Authority’s “Israel Invoices” system to combat the phenomenon of fictitious invoices.

Netanyahu instructed the Minister of Justice to urgently convene a hearing with the Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff in order to lay a regular legal foundation for defining “murderous criminal organizations” as terrorist organizations.

At the same time, he ordered immediate progress on legislation to curb organized crime’s infiltration of public tenders, which is being led by the Crime Prevention Headquarters and the Ministry of Finance. He also directed that a series of laws be promoted to deepen the fight against black money, which are expected to bring billions of shekels into the state coffers and cut off the economic oxygen supply of criminal organizations.

“The murderous criminal organizations constitute an existential threat to the State of Israel,” said Netanyahu. “We must use all the powerful tools the state has against them and stop the rampant crime. I accept the recommendation of Chief of Staff Attorney Roy Kahlon and all security agencies, and order immediate steps to define them as terrorist organizations.”