Israel: Less gun violence in Arab community
'Criminals need to understand that the rules of the game have changed. We are moving on to action'
Israel’s Deputy Public Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz said Sunday that the number of shootings within the Arab community is down, as security forces are working to confiscate illegal weapons.
According to Segalovitz, there were 42 murders in Israel’s Arab society since November 2021, compared to 56 in the same period the previous year, The Times of Israel (ToI) reported.
Speaking to the Knesset Public Security Committee, the minister said part of the efforts to curb violence in the Arab community resulted in a list of 631 suspects of criminal activity, 166 of whom were arrested and 144 indicted.
He added that there was also a rise in confiscated illegal weapons.
“Criminals need to understand that the rules of the game have changed,” Segalovitz said.
“This is a top-priority social mission. The discussions are over — we are moving on to action.”
Arab communities in the Jewish state saw a surge in violence in recent years, mainly due to organized crime, according to ToI.
Arab-Israelis blame the police for failing to crack down on criminal organizations and for ignoring the violence, including family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.
The Abraham Initiatives - an NGO that monitors violence in Arab-Israeli areas - said that 2021 saw 125 Arabs killed as a result of violence and crime.
Last August, Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett inaugurated a unit dedicated to "restoring security to Arab streets."
Months later, ministers approved a bill to expand the power of Israeli police in the Arab sector.