Protesters outside police HQ over spiraling deaths from crime in Arab community

A small group of demonstrators douse themselves in fake blood outside the police national headquarters in Jerusalem, in protest of law enforcement’s failure to counteract violent crime in Arab society.

While some dozen protesters lie on the ground covered in red paint, others hold a sign calling for authorities to “end the abandonment” of Arab society, as homicides continue to accumulate across Israel.

So far this year, 231 Arab citizens have been killed in mostly gang-related shootings and stabbings. In 2024, the total number of Arab homicide victims was 230, per the Abraham Initiatives organization.

The past three years under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have seen a dramatic increase in the number of Arab murder victims. Before 2023, the annual figure never surpassed 150.

“The violence is raging because the government allows it. This isn’t a failure — it’s a choice,” says the Standing Together movement, which organized the demonstration, in a statement.