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Palestinian citizens in Israel have demanded greater security and tougher action against organized crime after a spate of shootings they say have made violence an everyday reality. The calls for change intensified following the killing of 15-year-old Nabil Safiya in Kafr Yasif, where residents have described nights that often end with distant gunfire and where families and local officials say investigations have come too slowly.
Nabil Safiya was studying for a biology exam when he went to meet a cousin at a pizzeria, according to the account carried by the Associated Press. An armed man on a motorcycle opened fire, killing Nabil while he was seated in a black Renault, AP reported, and police later said the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Nabil Safiya’s father, Ashraf Safiya, linked the broader fear to how unpredictable the violence has become in his community. “Ya no hay un horario fijo para los disparos”, he said. “Pueden matarte en la escuela, pueden matarte en la calle, pueden matarte en el estadio de fútbol”. His comments reflected a concern that violence in Palestinian-majority areas has moved beyond isolated incidents and into routine public life.
The violence has also become a rallying point in Israeli politics and among protesters, with demonstrations spreading across multiple towns and cities. After Nabil was killed in November, neighbors marched through the streets, students boycotted classes, and the Safiya family turned their home into a memorial site with photos and posters of Nabil. Activists said later that such momentum has been fueled not only by what happened but by how often shootings continue.
In Lod, a mixed city with a large Palestinian population, political activist Ghassan Munayyer argued that the response to crime differs along community lines. He said at a recent protest that “Hay una ley para la sociedad judía y una ley diferente para la sociedad palestina”. Critics have framed those disparities as evidence of discrimination and long-standing neglect by authorities, AP reported.
Abraham Initiatives, an Israeli nongovernmental organization focused on coexistence and safer communities, provided figures cited by AP. It said 252 Palestinian citizens were killed in Israel last year, and that the rate of killings related to crime among Palestinian citizens is more than 22 times higher than among Jewish Israelis, while arrest and indictment rates are much lower. The organization also said that last year, only about 8% of killings involving Palestinian citizens resulted in charges filed, compared with 55% in Jewish communities.
Criminologist Walid Haddad, who teaches at Ono Academic College and previously worked in Israel’s national security ministry, told AP that criminal groups benefit from arms trafficking and loan-sharking in places where people lack access to credit. He also said gangs extort residents and business owners for “protection,” and based on interviews with gang members in prisons and court settings, described payoffs that could range from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on tasks such as arson, shooting at buildings, or killing rival leaders.
As protests continued, AP reported that some Palestinian communities have increasingly demanded more visible police presence. Lama Yassin, director of cities and shared regions at Abraham Initiatives, said tense relations with police had long discouraged residents from asking for new precincts or additional officers, but that attitudes have shifted. “En los últimos años, debido a que la gente está tan deprimida y siente que no puede llevar a cabo la vida diaria… los árabes están diciendo: ‘Hagan lo que sea necesario, incluso si significa más policía en nuestros pueblos’”, Yassin said.
Israeli lawmakers and activists have also portrayed the issue as one of selective enforcement and public pressure, with Aida Touma-Suleiman telling AP that she and others have discussed the situation for years. She said in remarks carried by AP that police activity in Palestinian communities can amount to “castigo colectivo,” and argued that when Jews are victims, police often set up checkpoints in nearby Palestinian towns, flood areas with officers, and arrest suspects in large numbers. AP also reported that many residents believe impunity has worsened under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has authority over the police and has launched aggressive campaigns aimed at other crimes as well as protest activity in Jerusalem’s eastern area and in the occupied West Bank.
Israel Police rejected allegations of biased priorities. In a statement cited by AP, the police said investigative decisions are guided by “evidence, operational considerations and due process,” rather than indifference or a lack of prioritization, and said investigations can be difficult when witnesses do not always cooperate.
In Kafr Yasif, the investigation into Nabil Safiya’s killing remained central to residents’ demands for answers. AP reported that authorities said last month they were preparing to file an indictment against a 23-year-old arrested in a nearby town related to the shooting, with the intended target described as a relative of Nabil’s cousin. When residents protested later in late January carrying portraits of Nabil Safiya and another local youth, Nidal Mosaedah, AP reported that police dissolved the gathering, said it lasted longer than authorized, and arrested leaders including the former head of the municipal council.