Man shot dead near Kafr Yasif, marking 130th killing in Arab community this year
Police are investigating shooting of 37-year old in Abu Snan; he succumbs to his injuries at hospital
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
A man was shot dead Monday in Abu Snan, an Arab village near the northern town of Kafr Yasif, marking the 130th violent killing in the community this year.
The man, identified as Tamer Ibriq, 37, was immediately transferred to the Galilee Medical Center in the nearby city of Nahariya, with critical injuries to his head. He died shortly afterward, according to the Arab48 news website.
The police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, and said that the crime scene had been closed and a forensic team was collecting evidence. No suspects have so far been arrested.
According to the Abraham Initiatives anti-violence monitor, the killings brought to 130 the number of Arab residents who have died in violent crime since the start of the year. The total for 2022 was 116. In the same period last year, 60 Israeli Arabs were killed.
Killings in Arab society in Israel have increased over the past years, and keep the Arab community hostage to organized crime gangs. There is a growing sense of impunity for violent crimes, which are mostly related to usury and loan sharks, as well as score-settling between gangs.
The scourge, according to multiple sources, is multifaceted and includes numerous national and societal problems, including the level of determination among the government and police; official neglect of the Arab community; a lack of access to banking services; shortfalls in police manpower; and, somewhat ironically, the weakening of some large criminal organizations which has allowed smaller gangs to emerge.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
