While touring southern Israel on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the Negev region is “out of control” and promised to “rein it in” amid intensive police operations in Bedouin locales and simmering Jewish-Arab tensions.

“The Negev is out of control,” he said in a video. “We will rein it in, and an important operation by the Israel Police has already begun, in conjunction with other forces.”

Netanyahu’s support for the operation, spearheaded by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, came as a blow to Bedouin leaders, who have been urging the premier to intervene in what they characterize as collective punishment spurred on by the far-right police minister.

The prime minister was joined by Ben Gvir and Defense Minister Israel Katz on his visit to Revivim, a Jewish locale that overlooks the Bedouin town of Bir Hadaj, alongside other army and law enforcement officials.

“Despite the efforts of criminal elements to intimidate us we are not flinching,” said Ben Gvir. “We will continue the operation throughout the Negev as long as necessary, with the goal of restoring security to residents.”

From a lookout point, Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy, Shin Bet head David Zini and deputy IDF chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai briefed Netanyahu on efforts to combat weapons possession and arms smuggling in the area.

“The criminal threat and the security threat blend into one. There are tens of thousands of weapons [in the region], drones crossing borders and other threats,” Netanyahu said.

He vowed to “return the Negev to the State of Israel,” by advancing “settlement on a scale we have never known, including regularization for Bedouin residents,” referring to the........

© The Times of Israel