Son of former Israeli ambassador found decapitated in north

Police say Rabia Araidi, 43, whose father was a Druze author and diplomat, was murdered amid criminal dispute; official says scene recalls ‘photos of Islamic State massacres’

Police said Thursday that the decapitated head of a man was discovered in the northern Bedouin town of Basmat Tab’un.

The victim was identified as Rabia Araidi, 43, the son of the late Druze author and scholar Naim Araidi who also served as Israel’s ambassador to Norway in 2012-2014.

A passerby discovered the severed head, while the rest of the remains were found in the Zalmon stream, according to police.

Police said that the background of what they called a particularly gruesome murder was a criminal dispute, according to initial findings.

According to the Walla news site, Araidi was part of the Abu Latif crime organization.

A police official told Channel 12 that the murder scene was “reminiscent of the photos of Islamic State massacres.”

The Abraham Initiatives, a coexistence advocacy group that tracks violence in the Arab community, said that Araidi’s was the 92nd Arab homicide since the start of 2024, compared to 102 from the same period in 2023, which, according to the organization, was the bloodiest year on record for the community.