Israeli Arabs call for action in response to an uptick in homicides linked to organised crime

Israeli Arab groups are requesting an immediate gathering of the nation’s parliament to address the recent spate of killings within their community. On Tuesday, gunshots took the lives of four individuals in Abu Snan, an Arab town situated in the northern Galilee area.

Three people who were related to each other were part of the same family. One of them was running for the position of mayor in the local area.

Opposition politicians are accusing the government of not taking strong enough action against organized crime groups.

The bodies of four men were discovered in a field after paramedics reported hearing a lot of gunfire.

One of the people affected was Ghazi Saab, a 53-year-old who was supposed to declare his intention to run for mayor of Abu Snan later on the same day.

The rest of the people were his nephews, Zaher al-Din Saab who is 45 years old, and Amir Saab who is 28 years old. There was also a 66-year-old man named Salman Khalab from a town called Yarka nearby.

A relative of Ghazi Saab mentioned to Haaretz newspaper that he used to work as a high-ranking officer in the Israeli Border Police and also had his own business. The cousin also emphasized that their entire family has a good reputation. “They said that he was one of five people who were running for council head, but they don’t think it has any connection. ”

A police representative also mentioned that there is no proof yet linking Mr. Saab’s campaign to the murder.

A news article from Haaretz said that a Palestinian man who was 18 years old was stabbed and killed near the town of Lakiya.

The police believe that the murder of Majid Faisal Dais, who was from the occupied West Bank, was done by a criminal with bad intentions.

On Monday night, Abdul Rahman Kashua, who was the leader of the central town of Tira, was killed by a gunshot near the main building of the town and a police station.

It is thought that the killings are linked to criminal groups within the Israeli Arab community. The community is shocked by the increasing number of murders, affecting about two million people.

Around 160 people have been killed just this year. This is already 40% higher than the total number reported in 2022 by the Abraham Initiatives, a group that works towards equal treatment of Israeli Arabs and Jews.

One political party, called the Arab Movement for Renewal (Taal), wants the Israeli authorities to take immediate action. Many people believe that the state is not properly representing and policing its citizens.

The politics related to resolving the problem are becoming more heated.

A top opposing Member of Parliament accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of giving control of the police to Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is known for his extreme right-wing views and discrimination against Arabs.

Former Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that the Arab society is facing a serious problem, and the prime minister is not taking any meaningful actions to resolve it.

Mr Netanyahu’s office stated that the prime minister was gathering his group of government officials to handle the situation.

He said that the murder of Abdul Rahman Kashua was really bad and promised to do everything he could, even with the help of the Shin Bet security service, to stop this crime.

“We have gotten rid of criminal groups in the Jewish community in Israel, and we will also get rid of criminal groups in the Arab community in Israel,” he said.

Mr Ben-Gvir made a long statement on Wednesday saying that he believes the violence is caused by certain groups in the Arab community, and that eventually these groups will direct their anger towards the State of Israel.

He said again that suspects should be kept in prison without a trial, and he wants the Shin Bet to find and stop organized crime. This means watching Arab citizens who are suspected of committing crimes. It is a very controversial idea that has been refused in the past.

Israeli Arabs, who may also prefer to be called Palestinian citizens of Israel, comprise about 1/5th of the total population of Israel.

In theory, they should have the same rights as Jewish citizens, but they often complain about being treated unfairly by the government.