Israel to unblock funds to Arab communities after backlash

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said yesterday his ministry will unblock funds for Arab communities that he suspended after claiming the money was fuelling crime, Reuters reported.

Smotrich said earlier this month that some of the budget funds meant for Arab local councils were a political pay-off by the previous cabinet that could end up in the hands of “criminals and terrorists”.

Arab councils held a strike last week in protest of his move and community leaders demonstrated outside government offices. While the National Committee of Arab Local Councils in Israel accused Smotrich of “racism”.

In a statement yesterday, Smotrich appeared to reverse his decision and said an oversight mechanism had been created to transfer funds to Arab communities.

“We are stopping the criminal organisations from taking over the budgets that go to the Arab authorities,” Smotrich said.

Arab citizens of Israel, descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel after the 1948 war, make up about a fifth of the country’s population. They are the most affected by the rising poverty rates in Israel as a result of the government’s intentional efforts not to provide sufficient funding to their communities and regulation which racially discriminates against them.

Israel: Arab council staff strike in protest at funding freeze