The Abraham Initiatives Publishes its Mid-Year Monitoring Report on Fatalities: 111 victims have lost their lives due to incidence of crime and violence in the Arab sector in the first half of 2023; this is a 134% increase compared to the same period last year; If the current situation continues, we expect to reach 222 fatalities by the end of the year.
111 Palestinian citizens of Israel have lost their lives in circumstances related to crime and violence in the Arab society in the first six months of 2023, 2.3 times more than during this same period last year, when there were 47 fatalities.
As shown by the Abraham Initiatives’ breakdown, a majority (64 fatalities, 58%) of victims were 30 years old or younger. A clear majority of incidents (99 fatalities, 89%) of victims were murdered by illegal firearms. There were seven women among the fatalities. Seven of the fatalities are residents of Eastern Jerusalem.
Additional Statistics:
– The number of victims during the first half of 2022 was 47 and in 2021 it was 52.
– 64 victims were 30 and under, six between the ages of 0-17. The youngest fatalities were one and two years old and the eldest was 71.
– 99 fatalities were shot to death
– 111 fatalities were murdered in 101 incidents. Only ten (10%) of the incidents, whereby there were thirteen murders, are being investigated by the police
– May and June of 2023 were the bloodiest months in the last several years with 25 fatalities each month.
– 47 (42%) of fatalities were from the Galilee, 26 (23%) were from the Triangle, 17 (15%) from mixed cities, 14 (13%) from the Negev and 7 (6%) from Eastern Jerusalem.
– In an unprecedented mass shooting that took place in Yafa an-Naseriyye on the 8th of June 2023, five people were murdered.
– Localities with the highest number of fatalities: Nazareth (9); Lod (8); E. Jerusalem, Shfaraam (7); Teibe, Umm al-Fahm (5); Bi’ina, Jaljulia, Rahat, Ramle (4).
The Abraham Initiatives reported that 2023 was a record year for crime and violence in the Arab society. Each of these victims were a result of rampant crime and violence that proliferates in the absence of the State. Currently, the main problem lies in the attitude of the Minister in charge, who does not see protecting the lives of the Palestinian citizens of Israel as his mission, does not see protecting citizens and their rights as a priority, and for these reasons and others, is severely distrusted by the people he is supposed to protect. The Minister of National Security is not handling this issue seriously or professionally. His is not continuing the positive steps started last year, is not strengthening the police and even blocked the legislative package developed for the “Safe Route” program, meant to assist law enforcement arrest criminals. Instead, he spouts populistic fairy-tale solutions, absolves himself from responsibility, and in a mastery of lawlessness he alienates the police when he calls for citizens to carry personal weapons. Not the National Guard, Nor Administrative Arrests and the Shin Bet will work as solutions, and will only weaken the personal security of all Israeli citizens and foremost that of Arab citizens, whose personal security is already scarce if not non-existent. He has no plan, no ability and no desire. The first step the Prime Minister must take is to appoint a Czar for this issue. Every day that Ben Gvir remains in his post is a day when our personal security is compromised.
