Connect with us

Features

The Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) has just elected a Winnipegger to the position of president: Naomi Levine

By BERNIE BELLAN From time to time we hear from former Winnipeggers about what they’ve been up to since they left Winnipeg. (And Gerry Posner does a very good job letting Winnipeg Jews know how many ex-Winnipeggers have really “made it” once they left Winnipeg – ouch!)
But recently we were on the receiving end of a phone call from someone who hasn’t actually left Winnipeg; she just makes her home somewhere else for a good part of the year – and no, it’s not Florida, California, or Mexico – it’s in Indian Harbour, Nova Scotia, near Peggy’s Cove – well-known as a tourist destination.

The person who called was Naomi Levine, a name very familiar to many Winnipeggers. Naomi told me she was calling from Nova Scotia, where she has been living for part of the year since she and her late husband, Judge Ian Dubienski, fell in love with the area many years ago.

Nova Scotia? you might wonder. Well, Atlantic Canada doesn’t have a very large Jewish population – only about 7,000. Halifax, which is a 45-minute drive from Peggy’s Cove) – although it doesn’t have a huge Jewish population (2,735 according to the 2021 census) has had significant growth in its Jewish population since the last time figures had been reported (in the 2011 National Household Survey). Of all Canadian cities, only Victoria has shown a more rapid growth relative to what had been reported in the NHS.

During that initial phone call from Naomi, in which she informed me that she had recently been elected president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, I asked her to email me some information about how she came to find herself in that role. During subsequent emails that went back and forth I asked Naomi to flesh out more about her life, her career, and her marriages to two very well known Winnipeggers: (Judge) Ian Dubienski and Arthur Mauro (both of whom have passed on).

What followed was a fascinating series of emails, each one leading me to ask even more questions about Naomi’s very interesting life. What follows is a detailed account largely taken from her own emails, in which she writes about her new role as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council and how she came to find herself in that role. We’ve rearranged her emails first to give some background about Naomi’s life prior to her becoming president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, but in between we’ve also included some information she sent about her involvement as a volunteer, not only with the Winnipeg Jewish community, but with a plethora of organizations outside the Jewish community:

By the way, before you read Naomi’s very interesting life story, here is some information about the Atllantic Jewish Council, taken from its website: “The Atlantic Jewish Council (AJC) has been the cornerstone of Jewish life in the Atlantic Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador) since 1975, acting as the organized Jewish community’s representative and program/service provider for non-religious matters. With only a small staff complement and a modest budget, the AJC relies on the support of over 100 volunteers across Atlantic Canada to move the needle on (its) strategic priorities.”

Here, then, is Naomi’s story:
“My parents were Lou and Sophie Levine. My dad’s parents came from Propoysk, in Belarus. His mother’s maiden name was Duboff.
“My dad owned LONG’s HAT’S MENSWEAR, on Portage Avenue – with Harry Stuart, but around 1958 he became a commercial and estate appraiser, working out of Aronovich and Leipsic. After retirement, he sat on the City of Winnipeg’s tax review board and was instrumental in developing an accredited real estate program. He had been very involved with B’nai Brith and was Chair of Hillel. It was my dad who brought Reb Zalman Schachter to Winnipeg to be the rabbi for Hillel.

“My mother’s maiden name was Bookhalter. Her mother’s maiden name was Lockshin. My mom’s family was from Novozybkov, near Chernobyl. Her grandfather was the pivotal founder of the Lubavitcher Synagogue. Her dad, Pinyeh Bookhalter, owned a garment factory – Ontario Garment, on Princess Street. My mom did her B.A. at the University of Manitoba and worked for her dad before marrying. She was supposed to have gone to medical school but, she said, my dad cried for two weeks, so she married him.

“I have one younger brother, Martin Levine, who was with the Canadian Foreign Service, and who specialized in immigration policy. He lives in Ottawa and continues to present lectures to Canadian immigration lawyers.

“I went to Talmud Torah until Grade 10 and then had to switch to Grant Park High School because we moved to the south end. The difference (in my view) was enormous. At Talmud Torah, we learned to love study, reading, learning. At Grant Park, we learned to date.

“After my B.A., (1968), I did a Master’s Degree in Irish Theatre – not a very marketable commodity. I went into Law at the U of M and graduated with an LL.B. In 1976. I articled with the Manitoba Department of Prosecutions and was called to the Bar in 1977. I then moved to Ottawa for three years (with my husband, Ian (Judge) Dubienski, and worked in the policy wing of the Department of Justice. When we came back to Winnipeg, I developed my own practice – primarily in criminal law, also in human and civil rights law.

“In 1991, I changed from being a ‘courtroom’ lawyer to delve into the world of harassment – sexual, emotional and criminal; conflict of interest; and abuse of power. I had two offices – at the University of Winnipeg and at Red River College, and conducted inquiries for them and for other clients, such as governments, hospitals, universities, public schools, arts organizations, sports organizations, churches and others. I joined an American association called the National Association of College and University Attorneys and presented on matters related to freedom of speech and expression, comparing the differences in interpretation between Canada and the States.

Ian Dubienski

“My late husband, Ian Dubienski, had been Chief Judge of Manitoba’s Provincial Court and was seconded by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to look at sentencing principles across Canada. I travelled with him and have been to all the provinces and territories.

“In 1979, Ian and I decided we wanted, eventually, to have a home in Nova Scotia. We had been visiting three times a year, fell in love with the area, and bought a house in July 1997. Later, in 2003, I bought a house in Indian Harbour, on the Aspotogan peninsula – which is where I live now – when I’m in Nova Scotia. Indian Harbour is a few miles from Peggy’s Cove and about 1/2 hour from Halifax.

“Ian and I had two dogs (a malamute and a bouvier). Our bouvier, Teuchter (Gaelic for ‘farmer’; not Jewish for ‘daughter’) died two weeks before Ian.

“Ian died of cancer in January 1998. For 10 years I drove my malamute, ‘Fleurie,’ back and forth between Winnipeg and Nova Scotia. Fleurie was with me for five years in the house in Indian Harbour before she too, died.

Arthur Mauro

“Five years after Ian’s death, I met Arthur (Mauro). I had been associated with an international organization that negotiated for peace in war-torn countries and, when I read about Arthur’s founding the Institute for Peace and Justice at the U of M, I decided to meet him, in October 2001. It led to marriage in January of 2003. (Arthur Mauro died two years ago – in 2023.)
“I still sit on the Board of the Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice.”

“In 2000, the Canadian government amended the National Defence Act, to form the Canadian Forces Grievance Board, as an arms-length tribunal to sit, quasi judicially on all matters concerning the Canadian Armed Forces. I was one of the four judges who were appointed to that board. While I lived in and practiced law in Winnipeg, I had an office in Ottawa and sat on cases across the country. I was taken to every base in Canada and was impressed with the dedication and commitment of Canada’s Army, Air Force and Navy. I served in that position for seven years.

“I also became a journalist. I had started my involvement with Peter.Gzowski on his morning show, appearing somewhat regularly to talk about anything from cod fishing off Newfoundland, to food service on Air Canada. Then, CBC Manitoba asked me to do a weekly piece called ‘Levine’s Law.’ Terry McLeod was then the host and every Tuesday morning, he and I would talk about issues of international, national and local concern. I would analyze those issues from legal and ethical standpoints. I loved working with Terry. He was and is a mensch and an excellent interviewer.”

Now retired, in another email Naomi wrote some more about her career:

“After I retired from practice the then dean of the Asper School of Business, Glen Feltham, asked me to develop the Executive MBA program. I also became the Director of the Centre for Higher Education, Research and Development, situated at the University of Manitoba, which trains all presidents, vice-presidents and deans of Canadian colleges and universities.

“I finally retired completely when Arthur decided he wanted to spend four months a year in Palm Desert. I had done some painting, and found a wonderful art studio that I go to four days a week in Palm Desert. And I became a volunteer for the Palm Springs Jewish Film Festival.

“I’ve been fortunate in being able to have a wonderful group of friends in Winnipeg, Nova Scotia and Palm Desert. Arthur had been declining over a period of three years and died, at 96 years, in August 2023. Those three years were very difficult. My life was consumed with trying to keep Arthur alive and engaged. I had no time for anything, or anyone else. My ‘respite’ was my weekly modern Hebrew tutorial through the Rosen School of Hebrew, and occasional trips to Nova Scotia.

(Ed. note: I had asked Naomi to describe in some detail her career, but I was floored when she sent me a list of the boards and committees on which she served while she was in Winnipeg. You can read Naomi’s full resumé at the end of this article.)

But, here’s one paragraph that describes some of Naomi’s eclectic interests – outside of law and volunteering on a host of committees:

Naomi’s painting of former Israeli Prime MInister Ariel Sharon


“I received an Homorary Doctorate of Laws (LL.D.) from the University of Manitoba in 2019. I was Chair of the Board of the Winnipeg Art Gallery for a number of years. When I’m in Palm Desert I paint and one of my pieces, a portrait of Ariel Sharon, was in the recent Jewish artists show at the Rady JCC. I’m painting a series of Israeli prime ministers.”

“For seven years I represented Manitoba in the National Board of the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.”

As previously noted, Naomi went to Talmud Torah for 10 years, and later she went to Israel during the Six Dar War. She writes that she remains “an avid Zionist. I take a weekly Modern Hebrew tutorial with my tutor from the Rosen School of Hebrew, accredited by the Hebrew University.”

“I have only one cousin in Winnipeg – Sheryl Levine, but she is much younger than I am and we hadn’t been close. That has changed and now we are. Also, my cousin – Marc Levine’s son – Hart and his family , live in Winnipeg. I haven’t been seeing them as often as they or I would like, but that will change too.

But, as Arthur was dying, I found two new friends who are now my ‘family’: Lorne and Paulette Weiss (and their children, Richard and Allison). I have no idea how I would have managed without their kindness, generosity, love and their two border terriers. I have always adored dogs but had none after my malamute died, so ‘Maize’ and ‘Lucie’ are my joy. Paulette and I met through a MahJong class at the Rady, but I had known Lorne years ago. He was, then,  an extremely intelligent and very engaging  young man and, now, many years later, he is still clever, very funny, analytical and passionate about his family, his friends and his two border terriers. Lorne is one of the most generous people I know with a desire and ability to help others.  Paulette has a pure heart; she is intuitive, and loving, and everything she does, is done with style and class.  My extremely good luck is in their making me part of their family. Lorne and I were two of six young people who volunteered and were sent to Israel to help in 1967, during the Six Day War. He was then a lovely young man and he has become a lovely older man. And Paulette is pure heart.

“I now divide my time between Winnipeg, Nova Scotia and Palm Desert. My new position, as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, is a wonderful opportunity to give back to Atlantic Canada, a place that has been so good to me. And, to be able to get involved not only in its Jewish life but in the Canadian Jewish community at large. I suspect that few people of my age have the good fortune to be starting a new and exciting adventure.

“It is my view that many Canadians, particularly Westerners, have no or little familiarity with Atlantic Canada and its Jewish communities.

“The first Canadian city that most Jewish settlers saw was Halifax, when they entered Canada through Pier 21, which operated from 1895-1915. Now, Pier 21 is the repository for all the records of the immigrants who came to Canada, and many Jewish people can track their ancestors’ arrivals through the research room of The Canadian Museum for Immigration in Pier 21, on the Halifax waterfront. Their records go back to around 1865.

“My responsibilities as president of the Atlantic Jewish Council will be to act as the voice of the Atlantic Jewish community, to support and connect them to Israel; to engage Jewish youth through Hillel and its camp (Camp Kadimah); to educate about the Holocaust and human rights; to foster relations with governments and non Jewish organizations; and to support Israel.

“While the Jewish population of Atlantic Canada is small, it is growing. Jewish immigrants, mainly from Israel and Russia are settling there and others are being encouraged to come. The Jewish communities are extremely active and involved in Yidishkeit, the celebration of Jewish life and support of Israel. The synagogues are Orthodox and Reform. As well, Chabad has a large presence, as does Hillel.

“When I was asked to take this position, I was excited about the possibility of making connections between the Atlantic Jewish community and the rest of Canada. My first phone call was to Jeff Lieberman (CEO of the Jewish Federation of Manitoba), and we were both excited about the possibility of joint initiatives.

“I will not be leaving Winnipeg, even as I spend a great deal of time in Atlantic Canada. I am still very involved in organizations in Winnipeg. I remain Chair of the Investments Committee of the Shaarey Zedek, and am a committee member of the Women’s’ Endowment Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba.

“I remain a passionate Zionist. I feel that, with ever-increasing antisemitism, it is important for Canadian communities to connect with each other and to support each other. “

Naomi encourages Manitobans who have an interest in Jewish Atlantic Canada to contact her. She can be reached at: Nzlevine@icloud.com.

Naomi Levine resumé:

Committee and Discipline Committee
Canada Summit of the Arts, Advocacy Committee
• ⁃ Folk Art Council of Winnipeg, representing the Irish Association of Winnipeg)
Strategy Group Canada (strategic planning in international peace building, conflict prevention and human capital development). Board Member Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, Board Member Prairie Public Broadcasting ( North Dakota), Board Member
• ⁃ Winnipeg Humane Society, Board Member
Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Manitoba, Board Member Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Board Member
Sport Manitoba,
Consultant
Sport Nova Scotia. Consultant
Denturist Association of Manitoba, Complaints Committee Scouts Canada, Manitoba Council, Honourary Scout
National Association of College and University Attorneys (USA)
• ⁃ Manitoba Arts Council, Board Member
Lawyers and Jurists for Soviet Jewry, Chair, Manitoba Region Irish Association of Manitoba, Member of the Board and Lawyer Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties Legal Aid Manitoba, Vice Chair
Manitoba Trial Lawyers Association
Manitoba Society of Criminology, Board Member Prairie Theatre Exchange, Board Member Rainbow Stage, Board Member
• ⁃ Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Association, Board Member
Winnipeg Jewish Community Council, Vice President

Features

The Tech That Never Sleeps: Inside the Always-On Engines of No Limit Casinos

In communities across Canada, including Winnipeg’s dynamic Jewish community, technology has become an integral part of daily life, whether through synagogue livestreams, local cultural programming, or real-time coverage of global events affecting Israel and the diaspora. Modern digital infrastructure, while often unseen to the public, runs continuously behind the scenes, enabling information networks that never stop. The same notion of ongoing connectivity drives the 24-hour digital entertainment platforms.

One example of this infrastructure is seen in online gaming settings, where real-time data systems enable experiences that are meant to run without interruption. The global online gambling industry is expected to increase from around $97.9 billion in 2026, with internet penetration and mobile connectivity continuing to climb globally. As a result, readers interested in how these platforms work often consult a comprehensive list of No Limit casino platforms to gain a better understanding of the ecosystem.

While conversations about casinos sometimes center on the games themselves, what’s underneath the narrative is technical. Behind every digital table or interactive game is a network of servers, verification tools, live data processors, and uptime monitoring systems that must run continually. Unlike traditional venues that close at night, online platforms rely on always-on design, which means that their software infrastructure must run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, independent of player time zones.

Infrastructure That Never Closes

Although Winnipeg readers may be more familiar with the servers that power newsrooms, streaming services, and community websites, the technology center of global platforms shares similar concepts. Modern digital systems rely significantly on distributed cloud computing, which means that data is handled simultaneously over several geographical locations rather than in a single location.

This layout increases credibility while also allowing platforms to run consistently even when millions of people are actively accessing the system. Similarly, big cloud providers operate worldwide networks of data centers capable of providing near-constant uptime. According to reliability measures released by major cloud providers, such as Google Cloud infrastructure reliability overview, modern corporate systems typically aim for uptime levels greater than 99.9 percent.

That figure may sound abstract, yet it corresponds to only a few minutes of disturbance every month. In fact, ensuring such regularity needs sophisticated monitoring systems that identify faults immediately, quickly divert traffic, and maintain redundant backups across different continents. Unlike early internet platforms, which relied on a single server room, today’s large-scale systems function as interconnected worldwide networks.

Real-Time Data: The Pulse of Modern Platforms

While infrastructure keeps systems operating, real-time data engines guarantee that information is constantly sent between users and servers. These systems handle massive amounts of data per second, including player activities, system status updates, and verification checks. Although the public rarely observes these operations, they are the digital pulse of today’s internet platforms.

Real-time computing has also revolutionized industries known to Canadian readers. Financial markets, for example, use comparable high-speed data processing to quickly update stock values across trading platforms. The same logic applies to global logistical networks, airline scheduling systems, and even newsrooms that monitor breaking news as it occurs.

This is essentially one of the distinguishing features of modern digital infrastructure: information no longer moves in batches, but rather continuously over high-capacity data pipelines. Regardless of how complicated these systems are, they must stay reliable and safe, which is why developers invest much in automated monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Security and Verification in the Always-On Era

Technology that never sleeps must also be self-verifying. Modern digital platforms use multilayer security systems to identify suspicious conduct, validate user identities, and safeguard critical data. Many of these procedures remain in the background, but they are extremely important for preserving confidence in online services.

Unlike older internet platforms, which depended heavily on passwords, newer systems often include behavioral analytics, device identification, and automatic danger detection. These technologies work silently, yet they examine patterns in real time, detecting unacceptable behavior before it spreads throughout a network.

The larger IT sector has made significant investments in these measures. Organizations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework overview give guidelines for software developers throughout the world in designing resilient digital systems. Similarly, academic research from universities continues to investigate how internet infrastructure can stay safe while yet allowing for large-scale connectivity.

Lessons for the Wider Digital World

Although talks regarding entertainment platforms often focus on user experiences, the underlying technology symbolizes a larger revolution in the digital economy. Today’s online systems must run constantly, expand fast, and stay safe even under high demand. While normal user may only observe the automatic interface on their screen, the real story is the engineering it takes to maintain that experience.

While technology develops very quickly, one thing remains constant: systems meant to function indefinitely need both intelligent engineering and meticulous management. Despite their complexity, these digital engines have become the silent basis for modern life, powering everything from local news websites to global platforms that never sleep.

Continue Reading

Features

ClarityCheck: Securing Communication for Authors and Digital Publishers

In the world of digital publishing, communication is the lifeblood of creation. Authors connect with editors, contributors, and collaborators via email and phone calls. Publishers manage submissions, coordinate with freelance teams, and negotiate contracts online.

However, the same digital channels that enable efficient publishing also carry risk. Unknown contacts, fraudulent inquiries, and impersonation attempts can disrupt projects, delay timelines, or compromise sensitive intellectual property.

This is where ClarityCheck becomes a vital tool for authors and digital publishers. By allowing users to verify phone numbers and email addresses, ClarityCheck enhances trust, supports safer collaboration, and minimizes operational risks.


Why Verification Matters in Digital Publishing

Digital publishing involves multiple types of external communication:

  • Manuscript submissions
  • Editing and proofreading coordination
  • Author-publisher negotiations
  • Marketing and promotional campaigns
  • Collaboration with illustrators and designers

In these workflows, unverified contacts can lead to:

  1. Scams or fraudulent project offers
  2. Intellectual property theft
  3. Miscommunication causing delays
  4. Financial loss due to fraudulent payments
  5. Unauthorized sharing of sensitive drafts

Platforms like Reddit feature discussions from authors and freelancers about using verification tools to safeguard their work. This highlights the growing awareness of digital safety in creative industries.

What Is ClarityCheck?

ClarityCheck is an online service that enables users to search for publicly available information associated with phone numbers and email addresses. Its primary goal is to provide additional context about a contact before initiating or continuing communication.

Rather than relying purely on intuition, authors and publishers can access structured information to assess credibility. This proactive approach supports safer project management and protects intellectual property.

You can explore community feedback and discussions about the service here: ClarityCheck


Key Benefits for Authors and Digital Publishers

1. Protecting Manuscript Submissions

Authors often submit manuscripts to multiple editors or publishers. Before sharing full drafts:

  • Verify the contact’s legitimacy
  • Ensure the communication aligns with known publishing entities
  • Reduce risk of unauthorized distribution

A quick lookup can prevent time-consuming disputes and protect original content.


2. Safeguarding Collaborative Projects

Digital publishing frequently involves external contributors such as:

  • Illustrators
  • Designers
  • Editors
  • Ghostwriters

Verification ensures all collaborators are trustworthy, minimizing the chance of intellectual property theft or miscommunication.


3. Enhancing Marketing and PR Outreach

Promoting a book or digital publication often involves connecting with:

  • Bloggers
  • Reviewers
  • Book influencers
  • Digital media outlets

Before sharing press kits or marketing materials, verifying email addresses or phone contacts adds confidence and prevents potential misuse.


How ClarityCheck Works

While the internal system is proprietary, the user workflow is straightforward and efficient:

StepActionOutcome
1Enter phone number or emailSearch initiated
2Aggregation of publicly available dataDigital footprint analyzed
3Report generatedStructured overview presented
4Review by userInformed decision before engagement

The platform’s simplicity makes it suitable for authors and publishing teams, even those with limited technical expertise.


Integrating ClarityCheck Into Publishing Workflows

Manuscript Submission Process

  1. Receive submission request
  2. Verify contact via ClarityCheck
  3. Confirm identity of editor or publisher
  4. Share draft or proceed with collaboration

Collaboration with Freelancers

  1. Initiate project with external contributors
  2. Run ClarityCheck to verify email or phone number
  3. Establish project agreement
  4. Begin content creation safely

Marketing Outreach

  1. Contact media or reviewers
  2. Verify digital identity
  3. Share promotional materials with confidence

Ethical and Privacy Considerations

While ClarityCheck provides useful context, it operates exclusively using publicly accessible information. Authors and publishers should always:

  • Respect privacy and data protection regulations
  • Use results responsibly
  • Combine verification with personal judgment
  • Avoid sharing sensitive data with unverified contacts

Responsible use ensures the platform supports security without compromising ethical standards.


Real-World Use Cases in Digital Publishing

Scenario 1: Verifying a New Editor

An author is contacted by an editor claiming to represent a small publishing house. Running a ClarityCheck report confirms the email domain aligns with publicly available information about the company, reducing risk before signing an agreement.

Scenario 2: Screening Freelance Illustrators

A digital publisher seeks an illustrator for a children’s book. Before sharing project details or compensation terms, ClarityCheck verifies contact information, ensuring the artist is legitimate.

Scenario 3: Marketing Outreach Safety

A self-publishing author plans a social media and email campaign. Verifying influencer or reviewer contacts helps prevent marketing materials from reaching fraudulent accounts.


Why Verification Strengthens Publishing Operations

In digital publishing, speed and creativity are essential, but they must be balanced with security:

  • Protect intellectual property
  • Maintain trust with collaborators
  • Ensure financial transactions are secure
  • Prevent delays due to miscommunication

Verification tools like ClarityCheck integrate seamlessly, allowing authors and publishing teams to focus on creation rather than risk management.


Final Thoughts

In a world where publishing is increasingly digital and collaborative, verifying contacts is not just prudent — it’s necessary.

ClarityCheck empowers authors, editors, and digital publishing professionals to confidently assess phone numbers and email addresses, protect their intellectual property, and streamline communication.

Whether managing manuscript submissions, coordinating external contributors, or launching marketing campaigns, integrating ClarityCheck into your workflow ensures clarity, safety, and professionalism.

In digital publishing, trust is as important as creativity — and ClarityCheck helps safeguard both.

Continue Reading

Features

Israel’s Arab Population Finds Itself in Dire Straits

Jacob Simona stands by his burning car during clashes with Israeli Arabs and police in the Israeli mixed city of Lod, Israel Tuesday, May 11,2021.

By HENRY SREBRNIK There has been an epidemic of criminal violence and state neglect in the Arab community of Israel. At least 56 Arab citizens have died since the beginning of this year. Many blame the government for neglecting its Arab population and the police for failing to curb the violence. Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel’s population of 10 million people. But criminal killings within the community have accounted for the vast majority of Israeli homicides in recent years.
Last year, in fact, stands as the deadliest on record for Israel’s Arab community. According to a year-end report by the Center for the Advancement of Security in Arab Society (Ayalef), 252 Arab citizens were murdered in 2025, an increase of roughly 10 percent over the 230 victims recorded in 2024. The report, “Another Year of Eroding Governance and Escalating Crime and Violence in Arab Society: Trends and Data for 2025,” published in December, noted that the toll on women is particularly severe, with 23 Arab women killed, the highest number recorded to date.
Violence has expanded beyond internal criminal disputes, increasingly affecting public spaces and targeting authorities, relatives of assassination targets, and uninvolved bystanders. In mixed Arab-Jewish cities such as Acre, Jaffa, Lod, and Ramla, violence has acquired a political dimension, further eroding the fragile social fabric Israel has worked to sustain.
In the Negev, crime families operate large-scale weapons-smuggling networks, using inexpensive drones to move increasingly advanced arms, including rifles, medium machine guns, and even grenades, from across the borders in Egypt and Jordan. These weapons fuel not only local criminal feuds but also end up with terrorists in the West Bank and even Jerusalem.
Getting weapons across the border used to be dangerous and complex but is now relatively easy. Drones originally used to smuggle drugs over the borders with Egypt and Jordan have evolved into a cheap and effective tool for trafficking weapons in large quantities. The region has been turning into a major infiltration route and has intensified over the past two years, as security attention shifted toward Gaza and the West Bank.
The Negev is not merely a local challenge; it serves as a gateway for crime and terrorism across Israel, including in cities. The weapons flow into mixed Jewish-Arab cities and from there penetrate the West Bank, fueling both organized crime and terrorist activity and blurring the line between them.
The smuggling of weapons into Israel is no longer a marginal criminal phenomenon but an ongoing strategic threat that traces a clear trail: from porous borders with Egypt and Jordan, through drones and increasingly sophisticated smuggling methods, into the heart of criminal networks inside Israel, and in a growing number of cases into lethal terrorist operations. A deal that begins as a profit-driven criminal transaction often ends in a terrorist attack. Israeli police warn that a population flooded with illegal weapons will act unlawfully, the only question being against whom.
The scale of the threat is vast. According to law enforcement estimates, up to 160,000 weapons are smuggled into Israel each year, about 14,000 a month. Some sources estimate that about 100,000 illegal weapons are circulating in the Negev alone.
Israeli cities are feeling this. Acre, with a population of about 50,000, more than 15,000 of them Arab, has seen a rise in violent incidents, including gunfire directed at schools, car bombings, and nationalist attacks. In August 2025, a 16-year-old boy was shot on his way to school, triggering violent protests against the police.
Home to roughly 35,000 Arab residents and 20,000 Jewish residents, Jaffa has seen rising tensions and repeated incidents of violence between Arabs and Jews. In the most recent case, on January 1, 2026, Rabbi Netanel Abitan was attacked while walking along a street, and beaten.
In Lod, a city of roughly 75,000 residents, about half of them Arab, twelve murders were recorded in 2025, a historic high. The city has become a focal point for feuds between crime families. In June 2025, a multi-victim shooting on a central street left two young men dead and five others wounded, including a 12-year-old passerby. Yet the killing of the head of a crime family in 2024 remains unsolved to this day; witnesses present at the scene refused to testify.
The violence also spilled over to Jewish residents: Jewish bystanders were struck by gunfire, state officials were targeted, and cars were bombed near synagogues. Hundreds of Jewish families have left the city amid what the mayor has described as an “atmosphere of war.”
Phenomena that were once largely confined to the Arab sector and Arab towns are spilling into mixed cities and even into predominantly Jewish cities. When violence in mixed cities threatens to undermine overall stability, it becomes a national problem. In Lod and Jaffa, extortion of Jewish-owned businesses by Arab crime families has increased by 25 per cent, according to police data.
Ramla recorded 15 murders in 2025, underscoring the persistence of lethal violence in the city. Many victims have been caught up in cycles of revenge between clans, often beginning with disputes over “honour” and ending in gunfire. Arab residents describe the city as “cursed,” while Jewish residents speak openly about being afraid to leave their homes
Reluctance to report crimes to the authorities is a central factor exacerbating the problem. Fear of retaliation by families or criminal organizations deters victims and their relatives from coming forward, contributing to a clearance rate of less than 15 per cent of all murders. The Ayalef report notes that approximately 70 per cent of witnesses refused to cooperate with police investigations, citing doubts about the state’s ability to provide protection.
Violence in Arab society is not just an Arab sector problem; it poses a direct and serious threat to Israel’s national security. The impact is twofold: on the one hand, a rise in crime that affects the entire population; on the other, the spillover of weapons and criminal activity into terrorism, threatening both internal and regional stability. This phenomenon reached a peak in 2025, with implications that could lead to a third intifada triggered by either a nationalist or criminal incident.
The report suggests that along the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, Israel should adopt a technological and security-focused response: reinforcing border fences with sensors and cameras, conducting aerial patrols to counter drones, and expanding enforcement activity.
This should be accompanied by a reassessment of the rules of engagement along the border area, enabling effective interdiction of smuggling and legal protocols that allow for the arrest and imprisonment of offenders. The report concludes by emphasizing that rising violence in cities, compounded by weapons smuggling in the Negev, is eroding Israel’s internal stability.
Henry Srebrnik is a professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News