Moshe Kahlon allocates NIS 10m. to fight violence in Arab sector
"The budget we approved today is another step in the uncompromising battle against violence towards citizens in the Arab sector."
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIJoint List leader Ayman Odeh marches in the funeral of Ahmed and Halil Mana'a(photo credit: JOINT LIST)
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon allocated NIS 10 million on Sunday morning to battle the steeply rising violence in the Israeli-Arab sector."The budget we approved today is another step in the uncompromising battle against violence towards citizens in the Arab sector," Kahlon said upon the announcement of the new budget.The budget came months after Arab Israelis began protesting due to the steep rise in violence. Israeli-Arabs declared a general strike in the beginning of October to protest the surge, which continued well into the month. Protests ensued, with some of the attendees engaging in shouting matches with onlooking police.Halfway through October, the Blue and White Party initiated a special meeting to discuss the ongoing issue. Shortly afterward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the formation of a committee to combat the violence.The funds will be used for the purposes of command and control (cameras, communication devices, etc.), as well as the establishment of dedicated focal points for policing in the Arab sector.The technological advances in the designated Arab-populated areas will, according to a press release by Kahlon, significantly improve police activity, which intends to prevent the intensifying violence.Since the beginning of the year, as of late October, 940 Israeli-Arabs have been convicted of illegal arms trading and 77 were killed due to the escalating gun violence in the sector, according to Israeli media sources.Arab-Israeli leaders launched a three-day hunger strike in the beginning of November to protest the issue, striking in a tent outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
