Arab Israelis Protest Crime Surge, Accuse Ben-Gvir of Deliberate Scheme of Negligence

A surge in organized crime and gun violence within Israel’s Palestinian-Arab minority has triggered one of the largest protest waves in recent years, exposing a widening gap between state security policy and the safety demands of roughly 20 percent of the population.

Convoys of cars traveled from towns such as Sakhnin and Tamra to Jerusalem on Sunday, joining weeks of strikes and rallies that culminated in a Tel Aviv gathering of close to 100,000 people. Organizers described it as one of the largest mobilizations by Palestinian citizens of Israel in recent years. Demonstrators blocked roads, staged work stoppages from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dyed public fountains red in cities including Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba.

At least 36 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in crime-related incidents since the start of the year, an average of nearly one per day. Police representatives told a parliamentary committee that 241 homicides occurred within the Arab community in 2025, compared with 47 among the Jewish population.

The Abraham Initiatives, which monitors violence in Palestinian communities, counted 252 deaths in 2025 in 218 separate incidents, up from 230 in 2024.

Haaretz recorded 308 homicides nationwide in 2025, of which 249 involved Palestinian victims.

Record Deaths, Structural Gap

The increase marks a sharp escalation over the past decade. Dr. Walid Haddad, a criminologist, said there were about 50 victims in 2016. The figure rose above 100 in 2020 and exceeded 200 by 2023.

“Violence has been allowed to proliferate,” Haddad said, arguing that the state has not treated organized crime as a strategic threat.

Palestinian citizens of Israel number about two million people out of a national population nearing 10 million. Many live in predominantly Arab towns where illegal weapons are widely available and where loan-sharking and protection rackets have expanded.

Only a fraction of shootings result in indictments, police say, citing difficulties in gathering evidence and securing testimony.

Residents and activists argue that enforcement is uneven.

This deliberate negligence is a policy aimed at internally dismantling the community and forcing it to prioritise the basic demand of safety.

Lawyer & Human Right Advocate Ahmed Khalifa

Another protest banner outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence read, “The government is responsible for the safety of all its citizens.”

Policing Capacity And Trust Deficit

Criticism has intensified during the tenure of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in office since 2023. Many Israelis say conditions have deteriorated in the three years since his appointment.

In 2023, former police commissioner Kobi Shabtai faced backlash after recordings surfaced in which he suggested that crime in Arab communities was difficult to curb because murder was “in their nature.”

Ben-Gvir said his ministry was operating in areas authorities “once feared to tread,” adding that his forces had “confiscated property worth billions from crime families” and allocated substantial resources to fighting crime.

Police told lawmakers that enforcement challenges stem from fear of retaliation against witnesses. Community members describe a breakdown in trust. “I blame the police, the state, and the government,” said Elham Siwan, a nurse whose home in Sakhnin was caught in crossfire about 18 months ago. “Things are out of control.”

“Coerced Displacement” Debate

Beyond immediate security concerns, some activists frame the crisis as socially transformative. Rawyah Handaqlu of the Eilaf Center said prolonged insecurity could push families to relocate.

When fear becomes a permanent part of daily life, young families and the middle class begin to see emigration as the only rational choice.

Rawyah Handaqlu - Founder of Eilaf Center

Organizers, including the Arab-Jewish group Standing Together, have emphasized joint action. Jewish and Arab medical workers, academics and technology employees joined the latest “national day of disruption.”

Dr. Nira Beck of Rambam Health Care Campus said, “We are obligated to stand with them.”

The scale of the mobilization reflects both the severity of the homicide figures and a broader dispute over state responsibility. As one forum of bereaved families stated: “We, who have paid with the lives of our sons, brothers, parents, and loved ones, say no more.”