In recent weeks we have witnessed the hysterical management of dealing with crime in Arab society.
The prime minister said "we are losing the country";
The justice minister, whose party emphasizes the rights of suspects and defendants, promised: "I will bring more laws so that we can succeed in the fight against crime in the Arab sector";
And the other ministers did not object, including members of Meretz, although it emphasizes human rights.
The crop, meanwhile, includes three devastating steps. One is the use of the GSS, which has special powers intended to fight terrorism, against the crime of civilians. Search authority in civilian homes without the need for a judicial order, but on the basis of a "reasonable suspicion" that the search site contains an object that may serve as evidence of a crime. Please note: This is not a suspected crime In advance, at the end of which unjustified searches will not be approved, police officers will conduct intrusive searches in civilian homes based on their assessments, which are likely to be completely erroneous, and the judicial review can only be carried out after the fact, examining dead cupping.
This is a speeding train that suffers from self-acceleration and is difficult to stop.
The captains seem to have panicked and are amateurishly looking forward to the "Zebang and we're done" solution.
But criminology shows that crime exists in all societies and throughout history.
It cannot be eliminated in a military operation, but a sophisticated response is required, and not just through criminal law.
Dealing with the current crisis as a war is likely to undermine severe and irreversible violations of civil rights and dwarf democracy.
Israel has known many waves of crime.
Following one of them - assassinations among criminals - a fight against criminal organizations was enacted, which added extensive and unnecessary powers to the police, which also previously had very broad powers, some of which we inherited from the British Mandate.
Since the law was enacted in 2003, if the police fail to properly deal with criminal organizations, it is not due to a lack of powers but to mismanagement.
If it was a football team, the coach would be replaced and they would not change the rules and allow a goal to be scored by hand.
Two extreme models of criminal justice are known in the world: one is known as "crime control" and emphasizes only the observance of law and order. The second is known as a "fair process" and emphasizes only the protection of human rights. All countries are looking for a proper balance. Even before the latest legislative initiatives, Israel stood in a bad place among democracies, leaning towards the model of law and order at the expense of human rights. If God forbid it is enacted, the freedom of the Israeli citizen will be violated.
Many people mistakenly think that the world is divided into "good" and "bad": we are the "good" law-abiding and are the "bad" offenders;
And are interested in giving the police additional powers in the erroneous thought that will be used only against the "bad guys."
But every citizen is likely to find himself or herself or one of his or her children suspected of a criminal offense.
Then the draconian powers will be exercised against him.
Examples?
Demonstrators who absorbed the comfort of the arms of sturdy policemen, the power of their batons, the electricity of their "taser" pistols and the skunk water;
A law professor who recently suffered beatings from police officers who came to her home due to the loudness of the music played at her daughter’s party;
Immigrants from Ethiopia and their children who experience the peace of mind of the police and are frequently arrested.
No additional powers are needed for the police, but proper management of its enormous resources and effective enforcement in Arab society as well.
The transfer of new powers to the Arab public is morally, democratically, legally and constitutionally outrageous, and will not be stopped there.
