MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash-Ta'al) met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday and presented a report documenting the rise in organized crime and violence in Arab Israeli communities. 'The state has all the tools to eradicate the criminal organizations, but it is abandoning our society, while hundreds of citizens pay with their lives,' Odeh said.
The meeting, first reported by The Zioneer late Thursday, comes amid a sustained surge in lethal violence in Arab Israeli communities. Odeh's remarks echo a growing chorus of criticism from Arab leaders and some Jewish lawmakers, who argue that law enforcement is failing to protect Arab citizens. The report presented to Guterres details the scale of the crisis, which has seen dozens of murders this year. Police Commissioner Danny Levi has vowed to fight organized crime, but critics including Odeh say the effort lacks resources and political will. Finance Minister Smotrich has called the illegal weapons in Arab society an existential threat. The UN has not yet formally responded to the report.
3 developments
- DevelopingSmotrich: Illegal arms in Arab society pose existential threat eclipsing October 7
- DevelopingMinister May Golan: police cannot fight Arab-Israeli crime wave alone, Shin Bet needed
- StrongPolice Commissioner Danny Levi vows uncompromising fight against organized crime in Arab society
- DevelopingErez Wiener: Quantity of weapons in Arab society surpasses IDF's own arsenal
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