Four Israeli-Arabs were murdered in crime-related incidents over the weekend, bringing the total of criminal deaths in the Arab sector to 96 since the beginning of 2021.
Somaya al-Talalka, 42, a Bedouin from Kakiya in the Negev, was shot dead on Saturday night. The police suspect she was killed by a family member.
On Friday evening, Ahmed al-Jarjawi, 30, from Segev Shalom in the south, was shot dead in a cafe in the Old City in Be’er Sheva. The police believe he was shot as part of a blood feud between the Al-Jarjawi and Abu Taha families. A 25-year-old man was moderately injured in the shooting. Al-Jarjawi had a rich criminal record.
Naim Suri, 56, a notorious convicted criminal, was shot to death at the entrance to his apartment building in Nazareth. Suri was released from prison about four months ago after 19 years in prison. He is believed to have been shot over a previous killing of his.
Hussam Othman, 30, was shot dead on Allenby Road in Haifa on Thursday.
The police have been facing sharp criticism over their apparent failure to contend with the ongoing wave of violence in the Arab sector.
The police stated Friday that it concluded a large-scale operation that included more than 350 police officers who raided 63 houses where suspects of membership in Arab criminal organizations live.
Fifteen suspects were arrested, and various weapons and military equipment were seized. Similarly, large sums of money were seized, and in one case, the wife of one of the suspects hid NIS 50,000 in her bra.
Arab-Israeli society is plagued with daily incidents of violence. Over 110 Arabs were killed in criminal violence in 2020.
The police increased its activity against the plague of shootings and weapons offenses in recent years, and in 2020 arrested 5,713 suspects in shootings and other weapons crimes throughout the country, an increase of 22% compared to 2019.
The vast majority of police activity is carried out in the Arab sector, and about 90% of the suspects arrested for shooting and weapons offenses are Israeli-Arabs.
Approximately 85% of the indictments filed in Israel in 2020 for shooting, illegal possession of weapons, trafficking, and illegal use of weapons have been filed against suspects from the Arab society.