3 men injured, one seriously, in brawl in Taibe
Stabbing in central town comes amid an Arab-led campaign demanding Israeli authorities do more to address spike in deadly violence
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A 33-year-old man was seriously injured Wednesday after being stabbed during a brawl in the Arab Israeli town of Taibe, medics said.
He was hospitalized in Petah Tikva under sedation, the Magen David Adom emergency service said in a statement.
Two others were wounded in the fight: a 21-year-old who was stabbed and suffered light-to-moderate injuries and a 16-year-old who was lightly hurt, the statement said.
The incident came one week after Arab Israelis protested and held a general strike to demand that authorities address the spike in deadly violence in Arab communities this year.
Arab citizens of Israel suffer from widespread discrimination and say Israel’s vaunted security forces are suspiciously powerless when it comes to combating violence in their communities. Police say local leaders and residents must do more to help them impose law and order.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a new committee would be formed to address the spike in killings, a situation the president has labelled a “national emergency.”
Netanyahu said in a statement that he gave the committee 90 days to draft a policy that aims to “eradicate violence and crime in Arab society.”
The team will hold discussions with leaders of Israel’s Arab community, and police have been instructed to step up patrols in Arab cities and towns.
Over 75 people have been killed in violence in Arab-majority towns and cities since the beginning of the year.
The Times of Israel Community.