Safety, trust, and the role of co-production in combating violence: local government-community relations in the Arab minority in Israel

This study examines the relationship between satisfaction with local safety services and trust in local government among the Arab minority in Israel. A survey of 201 residents from Sakhnin and Arraba, two Arab municipalities in northern Israel, was conducted using structured questionnaires. The findings indicate that satisfaction with local safety services is a strong predictor of trust in local government. In contrast, perceptions of personal and community safety did not exhibit a significant indirect effect. Co-production moderated the relationship between satisfaction with local safety services and perceptions of personal safety. These results suggest that quality local safety services play a central role in strengthening trust in local government within marginalised communities, whereas co-production primarily conditions how service satisfaction translates into perceived personal safety. The study offers an empirically grounded model for understanding co-produced governance in conflict-affected minority contexts.