Palestinian-Israelis demand state of emergency after ‘mystery murders’ targeting Arabs in Israel

The head of Israel’s Union of Local Authorities, Haim Bebas, sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding a state of emergency following the growing violence, crime and murders in the Arab society.

“It is not possible to wait until a new government is formed”, he urged in his letter.

In 2019 alone, 67 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been murdered, reaching a record breaking number of annual deaths.

Over the weekend, four Palestinians were shot dead in what many locals perceive to be a lack of oversight and accountability on murders amongst the minority community.

In May, Palestinian Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi lashed out at the Israeli police following the death of a 33-year-old citizen.

"The value of an Arab citizen's life is smaller than that of a Jewish citizen," the chairman of the Hadash-Ta'al coalition told Galatz army radio.

"The Israeli police force is professional and strong. When it invests, it succeeds, like in Netanya and Nahariya. The allegations of lack of cooperation in Arab society are excuses that the state disseminates," he added.