5 Killed in Shooting Amid Arab Israeli Crime Surge; Netanyahu Commits to Stronger Policing
Five Arab citizens of Israel were gunned down on Thursday outside a car wash in Yafa an-Naseriyye, a town adjacent to Nazareth in the country’s north. According to local media, the shooting seemed to stem from a feud between local crime families. On the same day, in Kafr Kanna, another nearby Arab town, a man and a 3-year-old girl sustained critical injuries from stray bullets.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to the violent incidents with a video statement, expressing his shock and committing to immediate action. Netanyahu promised to enhance police resources and enlist the help of the Shin Bet security service, typically tasked with counterterrorism operations, to fight the criminal groups behind the violence.
The Arab community in Israel has seen a surge in crime since the beginning of 2023, with 97 Arab Israelis losing their lives so far. Critics, including Arab lawmakers and activists, claim that the Israeli government has neglected law enforcement in Arab towns, viewing this as an aspect of wider discrimination against Arab citizens.
Arab Israelis, descendants of Palestinians who remained in Israel after the 1948 War of Independence, comprise approximately 20% of Israel’s 9.7 million population.
