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A Palestinian family was shot dead in Israel. Photo/Illustration
TEL AVIV – Israeli security authorities said a Palestinian family of five people was shot dead in their home in Israel. It comes as a wave of murderous crimes against the Palestinian community in the Zionist state reaches its peak this year.
The shooting of the five people, including a woman and two teenagers, in the Bedouin town of Basmat Tab’un came after a separate incident in which a 50-year-old man was killed on Wednesday morning local time.
More than 180 Palestinians in Israel have been killed in crime-related violence since January in a spate of killings that continues to spiral out of control. This is the highest figure in seven years, giving rise to accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s religious nationalist government is ignoring the bloodshed.
“Israel has the capability, the Israeli government understands what needs to be done, everyone understands what needs to be done, there is no will and no leadership,” said Mansour Abbas, leader of one of the parties representing the Palestinian minority in Israel as quoted by The New Arab, Thursday (28/9/2023).
The Palestinian mayor accused the government and police of deliberately ignoring their community and allowing criminals to act with impunity. They refused to cooperate with right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has supported terrorism and anti-Arab incitement, and demanded that Netanyahu intervene.
As Israel faces its worst political crisis in decades, due to Netanyahu’s efforts to overhaul its divisive justice system, Palestinians say the collapse of personal security in their communities deserves more attention from the government.
Ben-Gvir, who did not immediately comment on the incident, rejected accusations of inaction. He said fighting crime was top of the agenda and police had stepped up crime-fighting activities, including confiscating weapons and funds from criminal groups.
“As police, we will do everything to find the killers,” police spokesman Eli Levi told reporters at the scene on Wednesday.
Most of Israel’s Arab citizens are descendants of Palestinians who survived the ethnic cleansing and mass displacement by Zionist militias that accompanied the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. They make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population.
For decades they have faced high levels of poverty, poorly funded schools, and overcrowded cities with no health services. They say they are treated as second-class citizens compared to other Israeli citizens.
(ian)
