Israeli organized crime

Crime organizations targeting government tenders, emergency meeting reveals

Government ministries, Israel Police and state-owned companies met on Tuesday to address alleged attempts by organized crime groups to infiltrate public tenders and national infrastructure projects.

Conference on the challenges facing government companies in the head–on fight against organized crime
View of the Shita prison, located next to Gilboa,and intended for 800 primarily security convicts. February 28, 2013.

Israel charges 10 inmates accused of running gambling empire from prison

A view of a Japanika restaurant branch owned by businessman Barak Abramov that was damaged in a shooting in Herzliya, central Israel, July 14, 2026.

Japanika saga: Police arrest 28-year-old suspected of attempted arson on sushi chain's Haifa branch

A view of a Japanika restaurant branch owned by businessman Barak Abramov that was damaged in a shooting in Herzliya, central Israel, July 14, 2026.

Japanika probe goes international as FBI, Romanian police join investigation


National Headquarters for Combating Crime in Arab Society launches to tackle rising violence

The headquarters was created in response to what its founder described as “deliberate state failure” in the government and police’s handling of the wave of crime.

Thousands attend a protest against the violence in the Arab community, in Tel Aviv. January 31, 2026.

The government must address the epidemic of crime in Arab Israeli society - editorial

As citizens of the country, they need the government to treat this epidemic with full force and commitment that it would devote to a spate of violent crime and murder in any other area of Israel

Thousands of people attend a protest against violence in the Arab community in Tel Aviv, January 31, 2026

'Hijacked by criminal gangs': How gangs, weapons took over Israel's Arab streets

ARAB AFFAIRS: Gangs dominate Arab cities, violence has reached new heights, with daily murders and shootings. Fear and anxiety grip residents, with little hope for safety or justice.

MANY ILLEGAL weapons in the Arab community are stolen from Israeli army bases, while others are smuggled from the borders with Jordan and Egypt. Here, illegal weapons are displayed after a police operation against illegal gun dealers, in Nazareth in 2021.

It's time Israel recognizes Arab sector homicides as a national crisis - opinion

The murder rate in the Arab sector is not just a tragedy for Arab citizens. It is an indictment of the state.

Israeli security forces are seen at the scene where three men were shot dead by assassins in the city of Shefa-Amr, northern Israel, January 7, 2026.

Lahav 433, Tax Authority arrest seven for suspected extortion, money laundering, tax fraud

Seven members of the Bakri crime organization were arrested following an investigation carried out by multiple law enforcement agencies, including Lahav 433 and the Tax Authority.

Israeli police arrested senior Bakri crime group members and municipal officials in Nazareth overnight in the “Maze of Money” case targeting extortion and money laundering on December 9th, 2025.

Prosecutors file intent to indict Abu Latif crime boss, others in ‘Prince’ extortion affair

Police say the probe uncovered a network of extortion and financial offenses involving millions of shekels, carried out over a period of roughly five years.

Nidal Abu Latif, who was arrested in a major police operation earlier today, is brought for a court hearing at the Nazareth Magistrate's Court on February 8, 2023.

Israel's Lahav 433 commander suspected of leaking information to suspects, police reveal

Assistant-Chief Meni Benjamin allegedly maintained personal contact with Salam without reporting the relationship to the proper authorities and is also suspected of sharing police information

Assistant-Chief Meni Benjamin, head of Lahav 433 - The National Crime Unit, pictured on April 20, 2025.

Detention of crime lord Jarushi extended after surrendering to authorities

Jarushi is considered the lead suspect in the intense blackmailing of a money exchange business in southern Tel Aviv, police said at the hearing.

 The cage bars of a prison cell (Illustrative).

Prison commissioner receives death threats after cracking down on criminal, terror orgs in prison

"From the point of view of the commissioner, all prisoners are equal. There is no discrimination," a senior officer told N12.

 Israel Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi attends a National Security committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament on November 20, 2024.

Israeli lawmakers call on A-G to step down in rare Knesset session

The meeting came amid unprecedented tension between the attorney-general and the government over a series of measures that the AG has deemed "not legally viable."

Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara attends a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in Jerusalem, on November 18, 2024