Mizan Human Rights Center in Nazareth expresses deep concern over a proposed amendment to the Israeli Criminal Procedure Law (“Arrest and Search”) put forward by Israeli Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, which would expand the search powers granted to the police, effectively removing the need for judicial oversight in certain cases.

Mizan believes that such a legislative change would significantly violate individuals’ privacy and personal freedoms and represents a stark infringement on democratic principles and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. This move indicates a dangerous shift toward implementing a military-style regime. The government’s justification of these powers, under the guise of combating violence in Palestinian communities, would grant unprecedented and dangerous powers to the police, and even involve the Israeli security service (Shin Bet) and military forces.

Mizan emphasizes that the proposed law targets the Palestinian community at large, rather than addressing specific groups responsible for organized crime and violence. The Israeli police have the capacity to fight organized crime effectively, as demonstrated by their success in combating criminal gangs in Jewish cities, provided there is genuine will to do so. However, without political will and a true commitment to justice, these legislative amendments appear to serve other, broader purposes. There were previous claims that establishing police stations in Arab towns would reduce violence-related fatalities, but in practice, we have seen the opposite, with violence and murder rates in Arab communities rising significantly.

Mizan Human Rights Center – Nazareth
Wednesday, October 20, 2021