Man shot dead in Acre, in 173rd murder in Arab community this year

A 59-year-old Arab Israeli man was shot and killed on Sunday in then northern city of Acre, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

A car was found ablaze near the scene of the crime, and police believe the car served the suspects in the shooting.

According to the Abraham Initiatives organization, it was the 173rd murder in the Arab Israeli community since the beginning of 2023.

By the same time last year, 77 Arab Israelis had died in violent circumstances.

The killings are part of a violent crime wave that has engulfed the Arab community in recent years. Authorities have blamed burgeoning organized crime and the proliferation of weaponry, while some have pointed to a failure by communities to cooperate with law enforcement to root out criminals.

Many community leaders blame the police, whom they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence. They also point to decades of neglect and discrimination by government offices as the root cause of the problem.