Several hours after Tuesday's terrorist attack in Beersheba, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai said in a statement that the police had no prior indications of the attack.
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Residents of Beersheba and the region did not know whether to cry or laugh in the face of such a hollow statement. Not only was the perpetrator of the attack a known Islamic State sympathizer, who tried to join the organization, but was caught and jailed in Israel instead, but in the past month alone, the country has seen eight terrorist attacks.
For years, Negev residents have been warning about civilian terrorism raging in the area and the police's inability to deal with it. Each and every one of them has cautioned about the fine line between civilian and security terrorism that has been waning.
Local official Nir Gal explains to anyone who would listen that security in the Negev is deteriorating and has reached a new long, and unless immediate measures are taken to confiscate illegal weapons and increase judicial punishment, the residents will take the law into their own hands. Others beg for immediate cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police.
Perhaps the most vital warning is that of Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, who said that it is obvious that the sense of security in the Negev decreased the moment local Bedouin residents – a minority of the population – armed themselves and took to terrorize the highways during Operation Guardian of the Walls. Unfortunately, the matter has continued until now.
The police continue to insist they are helpless in the Negev, as does Beersheba Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, who claims his hands are tied. Meretz MK Yair Golan blames former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Right for the attack. He is immediately followed by Barlev, who condemned Beersheba residents for protesting against police inaction, saying they should be "ashamed" of themselves.
But journalist Almog Boker is unafraid to speak up. A Beersheba native, he explained how his hometown has changed throughout the years as follows: his friends are scared to walk the streets alone at night, afraid to drive on the highways, afraid to let their children go for a run. They can be sexually harassed, attacked on the highway, demanded money in exchange for protection, or get robbed at home, work, or the gas station.
We must tell the truth without sugarcoating. Most attacks are perpetrated by Bedouins from the periphery. They are the ones who create fear and panic in the city, Boker said.
The responsibility rests on the police and the public security minister, who has proclaimed that his actions have greatly contributed to the Negev, compared to his predecessor. In practice, Barlev is disconnected from reality.
Obviously, the entire Bedouin sector cannot be blamed for the rampant civilian and security terrorism in the Negev. Most of them are law-abiding citizens. And yet, the time has come for the government to change its course and outline a clear plan of action that will put an end to lawlessness in the Negev.
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