"Israeli Finance Minister Responds to Backlash, Restores Funding to Arab Communities"
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that his ministry will resume funding for Arab communities after facing backlash for suspending the funds, claiming they were contributing to crime. Smotrich had previously accused the previous cabinet of using the budget funds as a political pay-off that could end up in the hands of criminals and terrorists. Arab councils held a strike in protest, and community leaders accused Smotrich of racism. However, Smotrich now states that an oversight mechanism has been established to ensure the funds are not misused by criminal organizations. Arab citizens in Israel, who make up about a fifth of the population, have been experiencing disproportionately high levels of crime, with 157 murders reported since January.