Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to pay $54 million in funds owed to Arab municipalities within 10 days, according to the head of the Federation of Local Authorities, Haim Bibas. However, Arab mayors involved in ongoing protests say they have yet to receive official confirmation. The money is intended to compensate for discriminatory criteria in the balancing grants that the Interior Ministry pays to poorer municipalities, which resulted in Arab towns receiving less funding than Jewish towns.
The National Council of Arab Mayors in Israel has announced that Arab schools will go on strike when the school year begins on September 1 if Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continues to refuse to transfer the funds. The council is also planning a mass demonstration and is urging the Federation of Local Authorities to join their fight.
Arab mayors claim that the $54 million is just a part of the previous government’s plan to reduce gaps between Arab and Jewish communities. The allocation has already been approved, but the government is allegedly stalling or diverting the funds for other purposes.
To protest Smotrich’s freezing of $233.4 million in approved funding for Arab communities, Arab mayors and council heads demonstrated outside the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem. In response, they have decided to intensify their protest by organizing a larger demonstration at the same location next Monday. If the funds are not released, Arab communities plan to begin an open-ended general strike on September 1, the day when schools are set to open across the country.
Finance Minister Smotrich, with the support of Prime Minister Netanyahu, argues that a law establishing oversight mechanisms is necessary to ensure that the money allocated to Arab local governments does not fall into the hands of crime organizations. However, he has not presented any evidence to support this claim. Arab mayors maintain that such allegations are baseless.
The council’s executive director, Ameer Bisharat, demands emergency treatment of crime in Arab society and the immediate release of all funds earmarked for the Arab local governments. As a first step, next week the councils plan to strike for a day and demonstrate outside the Prime Minister’s Office.
As tensions continue to rise, there is a pressing need for a resolution that addresses the discrepancies between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel. The ongoing protests underscore the strong determination of Arab mayors to secure the promised funds and reduce the inequalities faced by their municipalities.
