Sakhnin, Israel \u2013 a mother was shot near a supermarket. A man was killed after leaving the mosque. A doctor was shot during treatment of patients. These shocking cases are no longer exceptions: they reflect the price of a rising epidemic of violent crimes sweeping Israel.<\/p>\n
Victims are Palestinian citizens of Israel. Murders in their community are rising so quickly that this year the average death toll is about one person per day. Palestinian citizens make up about 20% of the country\u2019s population, and many believe that the government not only fails to curb the violence, but its inaction supports a cycle of violence in which Arab organized crime groups dominate.<\/p>\n
Statistics indicate a stark inequality: the Israeli police solve only about 15% of murders in Arab communities, compared with about 65% among Jewish Israelis, according to data from the relevant agencies.<\/p>\n
Palestinian citizens of Israel are descendants of those who were not expelled during the creation of Israel in 1948. They have gained citizenship, but many have faced forms of discrimination in Israeli society and continue to feel the pressure from limited opportunities and restricted access to resources.<\/p>\n
Last year for this community was the bloodiest period in modern history: 252 killings \u2013 mostly by firearms \u2013 according to a human rights initiative working on social inclusion and equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel.<\/p>\n
And 2026 began with bloodshed: to date 46 people have died. This underscores that the crisis is not abating \u2013 tens of thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel took to the streets in recent weeks; some Jewish Israelis joined them, demanding that the government act.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo killings, no deaths \u2013 we want to live in justice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Demonstrators<\/p>\n
According to participants of the protests, this wave has been the largest in years and has spilled over into a broad, nationwide movement covering many cities and districts. Over time, different groups of the population united, leading to intensified strikes and demonstrations almost nationwide. The streets were filled with black flags, and some cities turned into symbols of demands to the government for greater justice and safety for all citizens.<\/p>\n
In response to the events, Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a rare visit to the city, where he met with local Arab authorities and protest organizers. He said that the fight against crime and violence in the Arab community must become a national priority and be addressed with the utmost determination as a moral obligation.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Police Commissioner Daniel Levy emphasized that crime in the Arab community is \u201ca state of national emergency\u201d and \u201cintolerable\u201d \u2013 he called for engaging other government agencies to address the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is part of the divide-and-conquer policy. Let them kill each other while we sit back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Kassem Awad<\/p>\n
According to experts, enforcement of the law against Palestinian citizens of Israel is often selective: with harsh approaches toward political activity and freedom of expression, while approaches toward crime and offenses by some groups are softened. In response to media questions, the police said they are investigating the murder of Dr. Avadi, with dozens of people questioned to identify suspects and uncover the truth.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnological tools and know-how are available to catch killers. But when it comes to the Arab population, are they lacking tools or knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Kassem Awad<\/p>\n
According to a rights-advocacy initiative, the number of murder cases among Palestinian citizens of Israel more than doubled over the past year. Critics point to weak coordination and the leadership\u2019s bias toward certain approaches. In particular, after the national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir came to power, funding for some initiatives was redirected, and the head responsible for fighting crime in the Arab sector was replaced by a less experienced official. While claiming \u201csignificant achievements\u201d during his tenure, critics emphasize the discrepancies between words and actions.<\/p>\n
In this context, experts say about a third of last year\u2019s killings occurred in public places, signaling a deeper normalization of open criminal consequences and a lack of readiness to respond promptly.<\/p>\n
Among other statements are leaders of the Palestinian-Israeli opposition and deputies who call for radical changes in policy and governance. For instance, one opposition figure insists on changing the government, which she calls \u201cracist, fascist and criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
In December, the Israeli prime minister announced diverting 70 million dollars from the Arab economic development program to the police to combat a \u201cserious national crime\u201d in the Arab community. This measure drew critical assessments from many experts who call it risky and not always effective in addressing the root causes of the crisis.<\/p>\n
The overall crisis continues, and politicians and citizens expect more concrete steps and justice for all citizens of the country. The report closes with experts\u2019 thoughts, pointing to the need for systemic changes and intercultural coordination to ensure safety and equal rights for all residents of the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sakhnin, Israel \u2013 a mother was shot near a supermarket. A man was killed after leaving the mosque.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":292187,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[148574,148575,85,46,148576,148577,43,148578,148579,148580,148573],"class_list":{"0":"post-292186","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-crime-rates-israel","9":"tag-government-response-israel","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-israel","12":"tag-israel-protests-2026","13":"tag-israeli-arab-community","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-palestinian-citizens-violence","16":"tag-police-investigation-israel","17":"tag-violent-crime-israel","18":"tag-violent-crime-israel-palestinian-citizens-violence-israel-protests-2026-crime-rates-israel-israeli-arab-community-government-response-israel-police"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/292187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}