In a push to revive his political fortunes and secure votes, Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists’ Party, launched his new ten-point plan for internal security — adopting an overtly anti-Chareidi tone and drawing sharp criticism after comparing the Chareidi city of Bnei Brak to the crime-ridden Bedouin city of Rahat.

“ In a functioning state, there should be law and order everywhere,” Hendel declared at the event, held in the Ramat Negev Regional Council. “Today, it’s exactly the opposite. There is no governance in Bnei Brak, and there is no governance in Rahat.” The remark — equating a normative, densely populated Chareidi city with a Bedouin city plagued by violent crime and an ongoing security breakdown—provoked outrage across the political spectrum.

At the event, Hendel unveiled a sweeping reform plan for law enforcement that includes establishing local police departments under municipal authority, creating a specialized counter-crime division within the Shin Bet, imposing tougher penalties and mandatory minimum sentences, and implementing what he called the “Texas Doctrine” of armed self-defense.

“This is where the State of Israel disappeared long before October 7,” Hendel continued. “This is where the policy of ‘containment’ began — even before the one in Gaza. If we don’t take control of the land, there will be no country left.” He described lawlessness and violent crime in Arab communities as Israel’s “eighth front,” calling for it to be treated as a national security threat. “The Israel Police is suffering a severe manpower crisis,” he said. “It’s time for a Texas Doctrine, for local policing, and for a counter-crime division in the Shin Bet focused on the Arab sector.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)