Arab Israeli Lawmaker Condemns Attack on Police in Arab City

The head of the Ra’am-United Arab List Party that is part of Israel’s ruling government coalition, who has called for the Israel Police to do more to combat crime and violence in the Arab community, on Saturday night condemned an assault on Israel Police officers who responded to a report of violence in the Arab Israeli city of Kafr Qasim. Mansour Abbas said in a statement condemning the incident that he “expressed my unequivocal condemnation to Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, wished a speedy recovery to the police officers, and emphasized the obligation to uphold the rule of law and cooperation with police.” Private security guards beat the police officers who had responded to a call about violence in a city building. Video circulated on social media of the officers being beaten and bloodied. Four men were arrested for the attacks; they reportedly are part of a private initiative to maintain law and order in the town. “The violence in Arab society has reached an unbearable point. We will fight it with all our might,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted Saturday night. “I expect the Arab society, which asks the state to intervene, to give the police full backing and support.”