The Soaring Crime Rate in the Arab Society is a Danger to the State and the Safety of All Its Residents

The Soaring Crime Rate in the Arab Society is a Danger to the State and the Safety of All Its Residents

The continued rise in the crime rate within the Arab society in Israel is a systemic failure of all state institutions. There is no ministry or institution in the country that properly fulfills its duty and contributes its share to the fight against crime. The internal security institutions fail to expose criminals and crime gangs, and they do not protect business owners from extortion, threats, and physical harm. The Israeli police, the Shin Bet, the judicial system, and all the bodies responsible for youth care disgracefully neglect informal education, the treatment of school dropouts, and addressing poverty, supporting families in distress, and protecting at-risk youth.

The Kol Ezracheha (All Its Citizens) Party condemns and denounces the discriminatory treatment by institutions responsible for citizens' security, based on the identity of the victims of violence and crime. If the victims are Jewish, the response and handling of the situation are efficient and swift. However, when the victims are Arab, there is no proper intervention, criminals are rarely apprehended, and they are not punished for their crimes. There is no real effort to address the root causes of the sharp rise in crime rates and its consequences on the daily lives of Arab citizens. The Arab society is left unprotected, with no deterrence against criminals, who feel free to act without fear—unlike the deterrence imposed by the police in Jewish communities.

The time has come for the government to declare, unequivocally, that crime in Arab society is a threat to the security of all the state's citizens. The state must allocate the necessary budgets and resources to eradicate this phenomenon. The government must take the matter with full seriousness and mobilize all its ministries that can contribute to combating this destructive issue.

The Kol Ezracheha (All Its Citizens) Party advocates for an uncompromising fight against violence in all its forms and is committed to working towards its eradication.