'Gov. abandons us to crime orgs.': Anger in Arab community following Ramle blast

By AVICHAY CHAIM

Published: SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 12:45

Updated: SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 21:37

Arab Israelis stage a mock funeral in Tel Aviv on August 6 to demonstrate against what they say is the government’s failure to address soaring levels of organized crime. (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS) — Arab Israelis stage a mock funeral in Tel Aviv on August 6 to demonstrate against what they say is the government’s failure to address soaring levels of organized crime.

(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS)

The Abraham Initiatives organization, jointly run by Jews and Arabs, which aims to promote integration and equality, blamed the government for the violent incident.

Doctors at the Shamir Medical Center are still fighting to save a two-month-old baby who was critically wounded in a deadly explosion in Ramle on Thursday, in which four people were killed, including three children.

A 6-year-old girl who was also wounded in the blast remains hospitalized in stable condition. Six others were also wounded in the attack, some possibly in nearby stores.

The main street in the central Israeli city of Ramle became a battleground between crime families on Thursday following a massive car explosion that rocked the city. A woman and three children were killed in the blast, including a woman and three children. Their names are Daa Abu Halawa, 50, and her two children, 14-year-old Sila and 10-year-old Muhammad, and 14-year-old Lin Maghrabi.

The families of the victims clashed with police outside Shamir on Thursday. Three residents of Ramle were arrested on suspicion of violating public order and assaulting policemen. The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, verbally attacked National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, saying that he failed in his duty.

"Ben-Gvir is currently standing at a bloody crime scene in Ramle, and instead of taking responsibility, he continues - as he always does - to whine about the ombudsman," he said. "Many ministers have failed at their roles before him, but Ben-Gvir is the first to turn failure into a profession."

The Abraham Initiatives, an NGO jointly run by Jews and Arabs aiming to promote integration and equality, blamed the government for the violent incident.

Members of the Arab community march as they protest against the violence in their community, in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. August 31, 2023 (credit: FLASH90)

"The complete abandonment of the Arab community has reached new heights," it said. "Victims of violence and crime are also victims of policy. The current government's policy, which abandons Arab citizens at the mercy of crime organizations, is to blame. The government must change its policy. Its racism towards Arabs undermines the foundations of the state. The Prime Minister must take control immediately, fire the ineffective National Security Minister, and implement the proven government anti-crime model."

169 Arabs have lost their lives in Israel since the beginning of 2024 in circumstances related to violence and crime. Data from the Abraham Initiatives shows that in the corresponding period last year, there were 174 victims, and the year ended with an all-time high in the number of people killed.