Shin Bet Warns of Bedouin Quasi-Military Battalions

Shin Bet Director David Zini warned the Political-Security Cabinet that terrorist organizations are attempting to establish quasi-military battalions and military-style infrastructure within Bedouin communities in the Negev and Judea and Samaria. Zini attributed this trend to the spillover of illegal weapons, religious and nationalist radicalization, and the influence of ISIS and Hamas propaganda on social media, noting that criminal organizations are increasingly transitioning into nationalist terror cells.

During the meetings, Zini proposed the potential return of administrative detention for Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria if other measures to curb violence fail. This proposal sparked a confrontation with Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strock, who accused the security establishment of ignoring Palestinian attacks against Jewish shepherds and teenagers. Zini countered that the lack of condemnations from Palestinian leadership harms security and the settlement enterprise.

Bedouin leaders and the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages dismissed the warnings as politically motivated fabrications designed to influence upcoming elections. They argued that the government has neglected the region's social needs and failed to address the root causes of illegal weaponry. While the Shin Bet, Police, and IDF continue counterterrorism operations and weapons seizures, critics like Amcha Yisrael party leader Ofer Winter accused the government of failing to stop the formation of armed militias.