‘Arab blood isn’t cheap’: Hundreds rally at PM’s office against police handling of crime wave

Hundreds of protesters gather outside the Prime Minister’s Office to protest how the police have handled crime in the Arab community under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Protesters chant in Arabic: “Hey police, hey police, Arab blood isn’t cheap,” and call to “free Tarabin [al-Sana],” a town that was subject to a 12-day police raid up until this morning, in which one resident, Muhammad Hussein Tarabin, was shot dead by an officer at his front door.

Israel closed out last year with a record number of 252 Arab citizens killed in violent crime-related incidents, marking its deadliest year in that community to date.

Less than two weeks into the new year, killings are continuing at a high rate, with 16 Arab homicide victims in less than two weeks.

Tensions between demonstrators and the Border Police securing the scene at the PMO are high, as officers form a human barrier between the protest and reporters.

Police horses and a water cannon are stationed close to the demonstration.

While some attendees come from Arab locales in northern and central Israel, the vast majority are from the Negev, as police continue a controversial crime crackdown in Bedouin towns.

The protest is organized by the Higher Follow-Up Committee, the leading Arab-Israeli umbrella organization. Most of the Knesset’s Arab lawmakers are present at the demonstration, including Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh and Ta’al chairman Ahmad Tibi.