Arab leadership in Israel has declared a nationwide general strike over the police’s failure to stem a surging violent crime wave besetting the community.
Since the start of the year, 20 Arab citizens have lost their lives in homicides, as local leaders blame police for failing to rein in the killings.
Nearly all Arab cities and towns are shutting down today as part of the protest action, which evolved from a local strike in Sakhnin after several shop owners were targeted in extortion-related shootings.
The High Follow-Up Committee, the leading umbrella organization in Arab society, is calling on the masses to join a 3 p.m. march from a mosque in Sakhnin to the nearest police station.
Arab Bedouin citizens in the south are also striking en masse, and a parallel demonstration is to be held in Rahat, Israel’s largest Bedouin city.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 22, 2026
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