Crime in Israel

Israeli police officers

Crime in Israel is present in various forms. According to the Israel Police, the general crime rate dropped in 2020, while cyber crimes, hate crimes, domestic violence and sexual abuse incidents rose.[1]

## Homicide

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In Israel the homicide rate is relatively low: in 2015, there were 2.4 people killed per 100,000 inhabitants (in Switzerland the number is 0.71, in Russia it is 14.9, in South Africa it is 34, in Venezuela it is 49).[2] In 2009, 135 people were murdered in Israel.

Six Israeli women were killed by partners in 2021. Of the victims, 3 were Arab-Israeli, compared to 9 Arab-Israeli women out of a total of 11 women killed by partners in 2009.[3][4]

According to Israel's police, the number of murders is continually decreasing. In 2018, 103 people were the victims of homicide, compared with 136 people in 2017. The murder rate in 2018 was 1.14 people per 100,000 inhabitants[5][6]

The Arab community in Israel has seen a significant increase in violence and organized crime, including a rise in gang-related murders in recent years.[7][8] A report by the Abraham Initiative highlighted that 244 Arab community members were killed in Israel in 2023, more than double the previous year's count.[9][10] The report attributed this surge in homicides directly to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who campaigned on a platform promising to improve personal security and oversee law enforcement.[11] Prominent organized crime families among Israeli Arabs include Al-Hariri, Bakri, Jarushis, and the Druze Abu Latifs.[12][13][14]

## Hate crimes

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Racist incidents, including violence, continue taking place between the Jewish majority and Arab minority.

In September 2007, eight white supremacists sporting tattoos including the number 88 (code for "Heil Hitler" because "H" is the eighth letter of the alphabet) from Petah Tikva were arrested after a year of being observed desecrating synagogues, giving Nazi salutes in the street, attacking religious Jews, collecting weapons explosives and spreading Nazi propaganda and making a video. They were immigrants from Russia, and only one was fully Jewish. The rest had been allowed to immigrate due to some Jewish ancestry, but were not fully Jewish.[15]

According to Palestinian officials, between 2005 and 2015, there were 11,000 attacks on Palestinians by Jews in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem, including price tag attacks. Between 2010 and 2015, three Palestinians were killed in arson attacks. Arson attacks on property were reported for 15 individual houses, 20 mosques and four churches.[16] In first four months of 2018, there were 13 cases of hate crimes carried out by ultra-nationalists against Palestinians.[17]

## Property crimes

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Director of the Latin American Institute of the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C. Dina Siegel, criminology professor H. G. van de Bunt, and lecturer in criminology Damián Zaitch showed in their book Global Organized Crime that a significant amount of crime in Israel, especially property crime, is committed by the residents of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA).[18]

Motor vehicle theft is a major crime committed by Palestinians. Since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in the rate of robberies in Israel. Between 1994 and 2001, the rate of robberies increased from 14.0 to 30.6 cases per 100,000 population. The reason behind this increase in robberies is analyzed as a result of the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip which according to the book Global Organized Crime "serves as a safe haven for Palestinian offenders". However, the organized crime industry associated with motor vehicle theft involves not only Palestinians, but also Israeli citizens, both Jewish and Arab. The parts of the stolen cars are removed in "chop shops" in the Palestinian territories and then these vehicles are sold in the black market in Israel. Media reports suggest some of these vehicles are even handed over to high-ranking Palestinian Authority officials.[19] It was reported that since the beginning of 2010 through the end of February 2010, the Palestinian Authority police had destroyed 910 stolen cars.[20]

Although Palestinian criminals are involved in organized crime in the country, Siegel et al. suggested one should not conclude that "organized crime in Israel is dominated by Palestinians. Organized crime committed by Jews or other non-Palestinians has been part of the Israeli crime scene for many years".[21]

## Organized crime

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Main article: Israeli mafia

Organized crime has increased dramatically in Israel since the 1990s and is described by the BBC and the Israeli Police as a "booming industry". The Israeli organised crime groups have extended their activities in foreign countries like the United States, South Africa, and the Netherlands.[22] According to a report by the Israel Police, drug trafficking, trafficking of women for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, illicit gambling, pirate filling stations and real estate are the major forms of crime in the country.[21]

In 2002, the Israel Police documented 464,854 criminal files and non-prosecution cases while the number was 484,688 in 2003. This was an increase of 4.5% over 2002.[23]

Israeli police, according to a Channel 12 report, have claimed there is a conflict of interest between themselves and the Shin Bet when it comes to cracking down on illegal arms and crime in Arab society. The latter works in terms of a mission of "national security" and provides immunity to figures in organized crime who are prepared to act as informants.[24]

## Arms trafficking

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Arms trafficking is another form of crime and it is directly associated with terrorism. There are many links between Israeli and Palestinian gangsters that facilitate these ventures.[19]

## Juvenile crime

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Violence against minors is also a problem in Israel. In 1999, approximately 7,000 cases of crimes against minors were documented which included physical assault (54%), molestation (37%) and repeated physical victimization (9%).[25] However, Israeli minors are not solely the victims of crime, they are also sometimes the perpetrators. Teenage violence in schools is a problem in Israel; the first major study on teenage crime in the nation by T. Horowitz and M. Amir in 1981 indicated three major forms of violence in Israeli schools: theft, breaking and entering, and vandalism.[26] Studies have suggested that Israeli Arab youth are more violent than Jews in the country, a fact which academics attribute to cultural, social, and economic differences.[27]

## Sexual offenses against minors

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According to the 2017 statistical yearbook published by the National Council for the Child, there were 2,514 reported sexual crimes against minors in 2016, leading to 481 indictments.[28] Of the 1,900 sex offenders incarcerated in 2009, approximately 60% had committed acts against children under the age of 13. Israel maintains a sex offender registry that is utilized by law enforcement and other authorized entities.

Advocacy groups have expressed concerns that a lack of background checks for immigration could potentially make Israel a refuge for individuals accused of sexual offenses. According to Jewish Community Watch, between 2014 and 2020, at least 60 Americans accused of sexually abusing children reportedly fled to Israel from the United States.[29][30][31][32][33][34]

## Prisons and prison population

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Main articles: List of prisons in Israel and Israeli Prison Service

According to World Prison Brief, the total prison population of Israel number 19,756 (as of December 2023) with a rate of 217 per 100,000 population. 2.3% of prisoners were minors (as of 2017), and 38.9% of prisoners were foreigners (as of 2014).[35]

## See also

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* Israel portal
* Law portal

* Jewish terrorism
* Palestinian terrorism

## References

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1. ^ Weissman, Miri (11 April 2021). "2020 sees overall crime rates drop as domestic violence spikes – www.israelhayom.com". www.israelhayom.com. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
2. ^ List of countries by intentional homicide rate
3. ^ "Report: Every Third Israeli Woman Falls Victim to Sexual Assault". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
4. ^ "Number of Women Murdered by Relatives, Partners Falls After 2020 Spike". Times of Israel. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
5. ^ "יותר עבירות מחשב, פחות רציחות: מפת הפשיעה נחשפת". israelhayom.co.il.
6. ^ "Population of Israel on the Eve of 2019" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2021.
7. ^ Gold, Hadas (8 September 2023). "Israel's Arab citizens demand justice after alarming rise in gang-related murders". CNN.
8. ^ Friedman, Rachel (2 February 2024). "Arab-Israelis are facing a crisis. But there's a way out". Atlantic Council.
9. ^ Staff, Toi (1 January 2024). "244 Arabs said killed in 2023 violence, more than double 2022 toll". Times of Israel.
10. ^ "Homicides in Israeli Arab societies rising at unprecedented rate - study". The Jerusalem Post. 11 February 2024.
11. ^ Staff, Toi (1 January 2024). "244 Arabs said killed in 2023 violence, more than double 2022 toll". Times of Israel.
12. ^ Breiner, Josh (8 November 2021). "The Fight Against Arab Organized Crime Groups Aims to Hit Them in the Pocketbook". Haaretz.
13. ^ May, Davied (12 July 2023). "Internal Violence Has Become a Nightmare for Israeli Arabs". Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
14. ^ Gradstein, Linda (30 June 2023). "Israel's Arab citizens don't feel safe amid wave of crime, murders". The Jerusalem Post.
15. ^ "Israeli 'neo-Nazi gang' arrested". BBC News. 9 September 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2009.
16. ^ "Palestinian Officials: Jewish Extremists Have Committed 375 'Price Tag' Attacks in 2015". The Jerusalem Post. 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
17. ^ "Shin Bet: Sharp rise in settler youth 'price tag' attacks against Palestinians". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
18. ^ Dina Siegel, H. G. van de Bunt, Damián Zaitch (2003). Global Organized Crime: Trends and Developments. Springer. p. 145\. ISBN 1-4020-1818-5.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
19. ^ a b Dina Siegel, H. G. van de Bunt, Damián Zaitch (2003). Global Organized Crime: Trends and Developments. Springer. p. 146\. ISBN 1-4020-1818-5.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
20. ^ "Nablus police destroys 498 illegal cars, dismantle explosive". Ma'am. 20 February 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
21. ^ a b Siegel, Dina; H. G. van de Bunt; Damián Zaitch (2003). Global Organized Crime: Trends and Developments. Springer. p. 147\. ISBN 1-4020-1818-5.
22. ^ Israel struggles to keep lid on crime Archived 8 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine BBC News
23. ^ Crime in Israel – in 2003 Archived 3 October 2003 at the Wayback Machine Israel Police
24. ^ Hanin Majadli (9 September 2021), "When Jews Are in Panic Mode, Arabs in Israel Are Perpetual Suspects" Archived 10 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Haaretz: "'It's interesting that in the same context of fighting crime and illegal weapons in Arab society, Channel 12 reported that senior police officials claim there is a conflict of interest involved in that order. That's because the Shin Bet – which was meant to be enlisted in this "national mission" – uses organized crime figures as informants for security purposes. In exchange for this assistance, the Shin Bet gives them criminal immunity, and essentially room to maneuver illegally.'"
25. ^ Florence Denmark; Leonore Loeb Adler; Melvin Ember (2004). International Perspectives on Violence. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 139. ISBN 0-275-97498-7.
26. ^ Florence Denmark; Leonore Loeb Adler; Melvin Ember (2004). International Perspectives on Violence. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 141. ISBN 0-275-97498-7.
27. ^ Florence Denmark; Leonore Loeb Adler; Melvin Ember (2004). International Perspectives on Violence. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 143. ISBN 0-275-97498-7.
28. ^ "המועצה הלאומית לשלום הילד השנתון הסטטיסטי "ילדים בישראל 2017" לקט נתונים" (PDF) (in Hebrew). National Council for the Child. 2017.
29. ^ Many accused Jewish pedophiles in US flee to Israel
30. ^ Lecker, Maya (3 October 2023). "Why Hollywood's alleged sexual predators love moving to Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
31. ^ Maltz, Judy (22 March 2016). "Israel becoming a 'refuge for pedophiles,' warns advocate for child sex abuse victims". Haaretz. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
32. ^ "How Jewish American pedophiles hide from justice in Israel - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
33. ^ Birger, Moshe; Bergman-Levy, Tal; Asman, Oren (1 February 2011). "Treatment of Sex Offenders in Israeli Prison Settings". Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online. 39 (1): 100–103\. ISSN 1093-6793. PMID 21389173.
34. ^ "What Happens to Sex Offenders Who Flee to Israel?". The Forward. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
35. ^ "Israel | World Prison Brief". www.prisonstudies.org. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

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