Son of Nazareth politician shot dead – 125th Arab killed in violence this year

A man was shot dead Tuesday in the northern town of Reineh, the latest member of Israel’s Arab community to be killed in this year’s deadly crime surge.

The victim, later identified as Marhan Awaisy, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Awaisy was the son of Nazareth Deputy Mayor Muhammad Awaisy.

Police said they were investigating the shooting as a suspected murder and arrested a suspect attempting to flee in a stolen vehicle.

According to police, the suspect tried to evade officers, leading to a car chase in which he was eventually overtaken and arrested.

The Abraham Initiatives anti-violence monitor said the killing brought to 125 the number of Arab community members who have died in violent crime since the start of the year. The total for 2022 was 116.

Of this year’s victims, 113 were killed by gunfire, the watchdog said.

قُتل شقيقه وابن عمه بسلاح الجريمة.. الشاب مهران محمد عوايسي (30 عامًا) من مدينة الناصرة، ضحية جريمة القتل على مدخل بلدة الرينة. pic.twitter.com/INuXJsKfhg

— الجرمق الإخباري (@aljarmaqnet) July 18, 2023

Many community leaders blame the police, who 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 primary cause of the problem.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Saturday he was looking to deploy the Shin Bet internal security agency’s advanced anti-terror tools against Israeli criminal suspects.

Ben Gvir was responding to a Channel 12 report that the Shin Bet had put together a plan for a committee of ex-operatives who would work with the police and share their experiences in fighting terror organizations in a bid to tackle soaring deadly crime within the Arab community. According to the report, Ben Gvir’s National Security Ministry did not move ahead with the plan, which remains solely a proposal.