5 shot dead in Arab community in 4 days; Lapid: 'Abhorrent'

Man shot dead in Lod in latest attack in suspected organized crime feud

Jameel Azbarga found dead in truck in the central city; attack reportedly revenge for Route 6 shooting in December that was carried out a day after Azbarga’s father was killed

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Medics and security forces are seen at the scene of the shooting in Lod, on June 27, 2021. (Courtesy)
Medics and security forces are seen at the scene of the shooting in Lod, on June 27, 2021. (Courtesy)

A man was shot dead in a truck he was driving in the central city of Lod on Sunday morning.

Medics declared the man dead on the scene.

He was identified as Jameel Azbarga, the son of Salman Azbarga whose killing last year led to a revenge attack in which a teen died when gunmen opened fire on a vehicle that was under police escort, causing the car to crash.

Police opened an investigation into the shooting on Sunday morning, and said the motive was likely a dispute between rival families.

The Kan public broadcaster cited the dispute between the Abu Salok and Azbarga families.

According to the network, police are looking into the possibility the attack was in revenge for a deadly shooting and crash in December, in which 15-year-old Amar Abu Salok from Lod was killed and another family member critically wounded.

December’s highway shooting came hours after Salman Azbarga, Jameel’s father, was found shot dead in the central city. Police suspect the shooting on Route 6 was in revenge for Salman’s death.

Amar Abu-Salok, left, was killed in the drive by shooting on Route 6 in December 2020, and-Salman Azbarga, right, was killed in Lod a night prior. (Courtesy)

Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said he knows his office and the police are facing a challenge when it comes to violence in the Arab community, but could not explain what he would do differently compared to predecessors.

“These are things that will take time, and great thought will be invested into it,” he told the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday. “I expect that I will be able to think of things that haven’t been thought of yet.”

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described the recent killings as “abhorrent” and “shocking.”

“Another abhorrent murder of a family in the Arab community. Another shocking incident of violence. I pledge that we will do everything we can to combat it, budget accordingly, and implement plans to curb violence,” Lapid said on Twitter.

“I know that the public security minister and his deputy see this as part of their main task. The fight against violence is a national goal,” he added.

The shooting came a day after after a three members of a family originally from the nearby city Ramle were shot dead in northern Israel.

The father, mother, and their teenage daughter were killed in the drive-by shooting. A 9-year-old daughter was also wounded in the attack.

Yousef Jaroushi, 58, his 46-year-old wife Nawal, and their 16-year-old daughter Rayan were found shot dead in a vehicle near the Ailabun Junction.

Yousef and Nawal Jaroushi were shot dead along with their 16-year-old daughter in northern Israel on June 26, 2021. (Courtesy)

Joint List leader MK Ayman Odeh described those killings as “heartbreaking.”

“Three more lives were lost, another family was torn to pieces and another girl was orphaned. How much more is possible?” Odeh tweeted. “We must not wait for the next victim. We need an immediate plan to eradicate crime.”

According to the Ynet news site, 54 Arabs have died violently in Israel since the beginning of 2021, five of them since Thursday.

Ending the spread of violence and organized crime is a major priority for Arab Israelis. In 2020, 96 Arab Israelis were killed, by far the highest annual toll in recent memory.

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