Gunfire was heard Saturday evening near a public meeting hosted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionist party in the central Israeli city of Lod. Hundreds of residents attended the event, which also featured retired IDF officer and party candidate Itamar Eitam.
Smotrich was presenting a proposed plan to combat illegal weapons and organized crime in Arab communities when shots were heard in the surrounding area. The finance minister pointed to the incident as an example of the threat posed by the widespread availability of illegal firearms. He said figures provided to him by the Israel Security Agency (ISA) indicated that more than one million firearms were in Arab society.
“This should not concern only the residents of Lod. It should concern every citizen of Israel. This can turn from criminal to nationalist in a second," he said, arguing that even a small percentage of the weapons falling into the hands of terrorists could pose a serious danger. He added that those who believed the threat was limited to just one percent of the estimated arsenal were underestimating the situation.
During the meeting, Smotrich outlined a series of measures he intends to advance in the next Knesset under what he called a national emergency provision to combat organized crime. He said the initiative would be pursued alongside his plan to strengthen Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee.
Smotrich described the proposed measures as exceptional and forceful, but said they would be targeted and subject to legal oversight. He said the goal was to dismantle what he called an armed autonomous structure within Arab society.
The proposed legislation would classify possession of illegal weapons as terrorism-related activity and expand the ISA's involvement in combating the phenomenon. Other measures would include arrests and administrative orders, evidentiary presumptions, and mandatory minimum sentences.
The plan would also target the financial infrastructure of criminal organizations, including measures to prevent the state from making protection payments to criminal groups. Smotrich proposed establishing a support system for individuals and businesses that refuse to pay extortion money.
He also pledged tougher enforcement against related offenses, invoking what he called the “Giuliani model," a reference to aggressive law-enforcement policies associated with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.