Crime in Israel

Crime in Israel is present in various forms which include drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, burglary, car theft, human trafficking etc. Organized crime has increased dramatically in Israel since the 1990s and is described by the BBC as a "booming industry". The Israeli mafia have extended their activities in foreign countries like the United States, South Africa, and the Netherlands.[1] According to a report by the Israel Police, drug trafficking, trafficking of women for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, illicit gambling, pirate filling stations and real estate are the major forms of crime in the country.[2]
Cocaine and heroin abuse is increasing in Israel with the drugs coming mainly from countries like Lebanon and Jordan. Israel is also a money-laundering center.[3] Director of the Latin American Institute of the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C. Dina Siegel, criminology professor H. G. van de Bunt, and lecturer in criminology Damián Zaitch showed in their book Global Organized Crime that a significant amount of crime in Israel, especially crime against property, is committed by the citizens of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA or PA).[4] Motor vehicle theft is a major crime committed by the Palestinians. Since the early 1990s, there has been an increase in the rate of robberies in Israel. Between 1994 to 2001, the rate of robberies increased from 14.0 to 30.6 cases per 100,000 population. The reason behind this increase in robberies is analyzed as a result of the establishment of the PA which according to the book Global Organized Crime "serves as a safe heaven for Palestinian offenders". However, the organized crime industry associated with motor vehicle theft involves not only Palestinians, but also Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. The parts of the stolen cars are removed in "chop shops" in the PA and then these vehicles are sold in the black market in the Israeli territory. Media reports suggest some of these vehicles are even handed over to high-ranking PNA officials.[5]
Although Palestinian criminals are involved in organized crime in the country, Siegel et al. suggested one should not conclude that "organized crime in Israel is dominated by Palestinians. Organized crime committed by Jews or other non-Palestinians has been part of the Israeli crime scene for many years".[2]
Arms trafficking is another form of crime and it is directly associated with terrorism. There are many links between Israeli and Palestinian gangsters that facilitate these ventures.[5] Violence against minors is also a problem in Israel. In 1999, approximately 7,000 cases of crimes against minors were documented which included physical assault (54%), molestation (37%) and repeated physical victimization (9%).[6] However, Israeli minors are not solely the victims of crime, they are also sometimes the perpetrators. Teenage violence in schools is a problem in Israel; the first major study on teenage crime in the nation by T. Horowitz and M. Amir in 1981 indicated three major forms of violence in Israeli schools: theft, breaking and entering, and vandalism.[7] Studies have suggested that Israeli Arab youth are more violent than Jews in the country, a fact which academics attribute to cultural, social, and economic differences.[8]
In 2002, the Israel Police documented 464,854 criminal files and non-prosecution cases while the number was 484,688 in 2003. This was an increase of 4.5% over 2002