Israel president expresses 'apprehension and horror' at rising deaths from gang violence

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, on Thursday, 2 September, expressed "apprehension and horror" over "the terrible wave of murders befalling" the country. 

"I have been following in astonishment, apprehension, and horror for a long time, especially in recent weeks and days, the terrible wave of murders befalling our country in general and Arab society in particular. There had been over 100 murders in the country since last September," President Herzog said while addressing the 10th Annual Conference of the Israel Bar Association at the Dan Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv. At least 80 Arabs have been murdered in community violence this year, and over 90 were killed in 2020.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet had shared a similar statement, calling gangland crime and violence in Arab Israeli communities a "national tragedy" and asking for the development of a national plan to address the problem.

The "Sanai Unit" is a group of 45 undercover cops

As a result of the escalating violence, an undercover squad was organised in Israel's Arab communities in early August to tackle crime. The "Sinai Unit" is a group of 45 undercover cops tasked with combating organised crime in Arab areas. Despite this, the death toll from murders in Arab communities' continues to climb. There were 96 violent homicides in the Arab community in 2020, compared to 82 so far this year, with fears that the numbers will continue to grow. Last month, Saha Ismail, Education Minister Yifat Shasha Biton's advisor on Arab relations, was shot dead outside his home in Rameh.

According to a recent article by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Israeli police have only solved 23% of Arab murders this year, compared to 71% cases related to Jewish homicides. Arab Israelis accuse the police of mostly disregarding violence in their society, including family honour killings, violence against women, and family blood feuds. They also accuse the police of failing to deal with formidable criminal gangs that frequently engage in bloody territorial fights. They claim that police do nothing to stop violence in Arab neighbourhoods.

Some experts believe that as police crackdowns on Jewish Israeli mobsters have increased over the last decade, organised crime has shifted into Arab parts of Israeli cities where policing and security are inadequate. As a result, Israeli Arab organised criminal gangs have emerged, specialising in weapons trafficking, protection rackets, extortion, drug distribution, money laundering, and blackmail, according to reports. 

More police stations built in Arab areas

Commander Ygal Ezra, the head of the newly created Crime Prevention Department for Arab areas, claims that when the police arrive at a crime scene, Israeli Arabs may wash away the blood, remove bullets and video evidence, and hide the perpetrator. According to Ezra, some 700 Muslim police officers have been recruited in recent years, and more police stations have been built in Arab areas of major Israeli cities.

(Inputs from ANI)