President Isaac Herzog has sharply criticized the Israel Police’s ability to confront the country’s growing crime problems, saying the force lacks the capacity and manpower needed to meet the challenges facing Israel.

Speaking at a conference organized by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Herzog said: “Our police force, which is doing the best it can, is a little out of its depth in this country. We need a stronger police force — and a much larger one, because there are so many challenges here.”

Herzog also highlighted the continuing wave of deadly violence in Arab communities, where criminal activity and killings have risen dramatically in recent years.

“Crime in Arab society is a disaster,” he says, as quoted by Ynet. “We’re talking about a huge number of citizens — more than 1.3 million people living under terror, day and night.”

Turning to Israel’s upcoming election, Herzog pledged to make every effort to prevent the country from being forced into another election cycle. His remarks come as polls suggest that the October 27 vote could produce a political stalemate, leaving no candidate with sufficient support to form a government.

Herzog said he would “really, truly do everything in my power to prevent another round of elections,” stressing the importance of political stability as Israel confronts significant national challenges.

“We need to understand that our national challenges are enormous. We need to wait for the results rather than pass judgment, but we must do everything possible to avoid going back to this again and again and again.”