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)