The Finance Ministry has outlined a proposed mechanism for ensuring that funds to Arab Israeli communities are transferred for their designated purposes, Israel Hayom has learned.
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According to the proposal, the Israel Police, Shin Bet security agency, and government agencies will work to divide localities according to the colors of a traffic light: areas where criminal elements are active will be designated as red and closely supervised by law enforcement; areas with lower rates will be designated as yellow and will only be partially supervised; and areas with little involvement on behalf of criminal elements will be designated as green and supervised minimally.
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The agencies will also compile a list of individuals involved in crime who will be prohibited from running for office or applying for civil service positions.
According to government officials, the mechanism will apply to all authorities, Arab and Jewish alike, and will include oversight of the funds.
Municipalities designated as red will have a government entity in charge of overlooking its budget; yellow localities will have a dedicated bank account with two authorized signatories (one on behalf of the Finance Ministry) with at-risk activities, such as garbage collection and transportation, to be funded after approval by an external authority; and green localities will enjoy an easy mechanism, where funds will be provided through a bank transfer, without checks and cash, with electronic invoices and transparent tenders committees.
The development comes several weeks after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich caused an uproar when he decided to withhold funds to Arab Israeli communities over security concerns. He warned that without supervision, the money would end up in the hands of criminals and terrorists.
On Sunday evening, Smotrich said he would release funds earmarked for Arab municipalities under the oversight mechanism.
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