Rights8/31/2026

Marked Increase Recorded in the Number of Arrests of Minors of Ethiopian Descent

From January through July 2026, 85 minors of Ethiopian descent were arrested in Israel—more than in all of 2022, when 71 such minors were arrested. According to police data published in Haaretz, the total number of arrests during Itamar Ben-Gvir’s tenure as national security minister rose by 33%, while the number of indictments filed rose by 13.2%.

Key facts

•Data source: Israel Police
•Publication date: August 31, 2026
•Minors: 71 arrested in 2022
•Minors: 126 arrested in 2025
•January–July 2026: 85 arrested
•Overall increase in the number of arrests: 33%; in the number of indictments: 13.2%

What the Data Show

In 2025, the police arrested 126 minors from the Ethiopian community, compared with 71 in 2022. This represents an increase of 77% within three years. From January through July 2026, the number of minors arrested reached 85—about 104% more than in the corresponding period in 2022.

The Increase Also Affected Adults

The number of Israelis of Ethiopian descent of all ages who were arrested in the years examined rose by about 10%—from 1,492 to 1,644. However, the police’s overall data indicate a sharper increase in the number of arrests than in the number of indictments: 33% and 13.2%, respectively.

This Is Not a Court Ruling

The article does not describe a specific criminal case, judgment, or legislative change. It presents police statistics obtained by Haaretz; the source does not state the legal grounds for the individual arrests or their subsequent outcomes. The data presented also do not make it possible to determine how many of the minors’ arrests resulted in indictments.

What this means for you

For ordinary residents, the data mean that arrest has been used more frequently, especially against minors of Ethiopian descent, but the increase in the number of indictments was considerably lower than the overall increase in the number of arrests. An arrest in itself does not indicate that an indictment was filed or that there was a conviction, and the source does not report how the individual cases ended.

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