The National Security Committee, chaired by MK Tzvika Foghel (Otzma Yehudit), convened on Sunday for a follow-up debate on nationalistically motivated violence in mixed cities.
Committee Chair MK Foghel said, “We are holding a follow-up discussion that previously revolved around events that occurred during Ramadan. We want to ensure that in mixed cities like Ramla, Lod, Jaffa, Haifa, and Acre, public order is maintained and Arab-Jewish relations in these places remain stable. I want to understand from the Israel Police how prepared they are for extreme scenarios of violence in mixed cities, similar to what occurred during Operation Guardian of the Walls. I cannot afford to be calm. I know where gang wars can lead. Weapons in the hands of gangs give them a strong sense of capability, and this can escalate from gang fights to nationalist clashes. I am sure there is incitement happening in mosques because I see this incitement manifested here in the legislature. The Israel Police must prepare operational orders and deploy various units to respond to potential new outbreaks of nationalist violence. I want us to live here peacefully and calmly, but we must be prepared for any scenario.”
Brig.-Gen. Yaakov Mor, commander of the Israel Police’s Shfela Sub-District, said “Since Operation Guardian of the Walls, we have been on heightened alert to prevent nationalist incidents. So far, 2025 is progressing with more or less regular figures. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 154 events classified as nationalistically motivated, of which only 14 required further investigation. We are operating extensively to maintain order in mixed cities, we monitor sermons in mosques and calls in synagogues, and we track content distributed on social media. We take every report and complaint about noise emanating from mosques seriously. We have an action plan on the matter, and we are working according to it.”
Chief Superintendent Barak Arrusi, head of the Israel Police’s Operational Planning Unit, said “The Police Commissioner places great importance on activity in mixed cities, and has established dedicated units for that purpose. Beyond that, we are conducting focused operations led by Lahav [433], with an emphasis on illegal weapons. There have been many seizures of arms. It is very important to involve all government ministries in addressing the root of the problem. It is not just the responsibility of the Israel Police—we can enforce the law, confiscate weapons, but that’s just a drop in the ocean. Ultimately, we need infrastructure, welfare, education, and many other components to bring this to a much better, more stable place. On a daily basis, we deal with sensitive events between Arabs and Jews that could ignite tensions, but we see that even in these cases, there’s responsibility shown by the public, and it doesn’t always escalate into the worst-case scenarios.”
Adv. David Aviner, legal counsel for the Israel’s Cities Organization, said “According to the guidelines of the State Attorney’s Office, in every incident involving Jews and Arabs, there should be an examination of whether the incident had a racist or nationalist motive.” Additionally, he said, “correct classification of nationalistically motivated offenses would allow the police to transfer cases to the appropriate body, such as the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency) or the Special Affairs Department of the State Attorney’s Office. At least in the unconcealed protocols, this classification is not done properly. We would be glad to receive from the Israel Police details of its structured plan for handling noise from mosques, including data regarding enforcement and the issuing of citations.”
Itzik Assaraf, head of security and policing at the Ramla Municipality, said “In the Ramla area, we’ve been prepared since Operation Guardian of the Walls, and always keep a finger on the pulse. There are occasional cases of stone throwing and damage to utility poles. Our main concern is the large quantity of weapons in the hands of criminal organizations—everyone knows this. Our cooperation with the police is excellent. In any unusual event in Ramla, the sub-district commander personally communicates with us. There is cause for concern—there are weapons in Ramla. We currently have two rapid response teams, and a third is in the process of being established.”
Lama Yassin of the Abraham Initiatives organization said, “In recent months, we have seen an increase in violent incidents perpetrated by Jews against the Arab community in Lod. We are seeing expressions of schadenfreude on social media over the murder of Arab women in Lod, as well as joy and hope that Iranian missiles will hit Arab villages. Before the police deal with complaints about noise from mosques, they must work to prevent murders within Arab society.”
