Far-right Social Equality Minister May Golan has proposed diverting 3.1 billion shekels from programs aimed at boosting Arab economic and social development in Israel and sending to the National Security Ministry, the Israel Police, the Shin Bet intelligence service and her own ministry. The planned transfer comes as Golan is being investigated by police for fraud and misusing public funds, Hadash leading activists claim that the move represents a conflict of interest and describe it as a kickback.

MK Aida Touma-Sliman (second from left) during a demonstration against crime and murder in Sakhnin, October 4, 2025 (Photo: Zo Haderekh)

Her proposal states that the funds will be used to “address crime and violence in Arab society,” but the money will be taken from a five-year program designed to bring Arab communities on par with Jewish counterparts in areas such as housing, policing, and economic development after decades of neglect.

Arab community leaders have expressed strong opposition to the proposed cuts and have long accused Golan — known for her anti-Arab and anti-migrant rhetoric — of refusing to implement the plan since taking over the ministry last year by freezing funds; firing the ministry’s director, who was charged with executing the five-year plan; and halting the standing committee that oversaw the allocation of the plan’s budget.

“This move is not a genuine fight against crime,” said MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash) who has called the proposed cuts “brazen theft,” told the Times of Israel. Rather, she said, “Golan is attempting to bribe the police into stopping its investigations of her by transferring funds that were allocated to the Arab population.”

A representative from the Ministry of Justice argued that the proposed budget reallocation “will not only fail to help but will produce the opposite results. Our programs were built as multi-year programs and cutting them midway undermines them. We have specific programs in the Arab society, and it is simply a mistake to halt them at this stage.”