Moshe Levy, Southern District Police: "The police do not have a unit dedicated to dealing with the issue" 

IEC Representative: Pirated connections happen every day, every night. There are constantly tractors and backhoes in the field. There are electricity traders who have the meter, and they are paid. When we come to disconnect a pirated connection, our employees are in real danger, and within 24 hours the same pirates reconnect.

Committee Chairman, Meirav Ben-Ari: The state must address this at the strategic level, and not leave it to law enforcement agencies.

"The estimated annual economic damage caused to the Electric Company due to illegal electricity connections was at least NIS 41 million in 2020. The State Comptroller's report recommends cooperation to eradicate the damage to national infrastructure in the Negev - in view of such significant and ongoing damage to vital infrastructure of major government companies In the economy (the electricity company, Mekorot and the oil infrastructure company), "said the chairman of the Internal Security Committee, MK Meirav Ben-Ari, in a discussion on preserving infrastructure in the Negev.

The discussion was initiated by MKs Amichai Shikli and Simcha Rotman. According to MK Ben-Ari, "it is recommended that government ministries and relevant companies be prepared to eradicate the phenomenon, with close cooperation between them and the Israeli police."

The State Comptroller's latest report states that the IEC deals with many theft incidents every year, mainly of metal transformers, from its facilities in the Negev, mainly of transformers, copper cables and equipment, which are probably a target for metal traders. There were 30 pirated connections to the electricity grid in one neighborhood in Rahat between January-June 2018.

"According to an estimate by the Neve Midbar Corporation, the extent of the financial damage due to the theft of water in the corporation in 2016 was about NIS 21 million due to water theft of about two million cubic meters. 68% collection depreciation. "

MK Amichai Shikli, one of the initiators of the debate: "Does the state assume an electricity connection to Bedouin localities as it assumes to Omar and Meitar, and everyone pays? What is the IEC's professional position on the Electricity Law? "

Image: Walla