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Violence Continues to Plague Israeli Arab Communities
Then Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks with Mansour Abbas, leader of the Islamist party Raam at the Knesset in Jerusalem, June 13, 2021. Photo: EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
Medics found Khaled Ahmed Hussein’s black pickup truck wrapped around a tree in Deir Hanna in northern Israel; the front windows were shattered. Assailants shot and killed Hussein, the cousin of the town council chief, last week.
Hussein was the 124th Arab citizen of Israel to be murdered since the start of the year, putting 2024 on pace to be the bloodiest year on record for the country’s Arab communities. Hussein’s murder illustrates the checkered progress of a minority that comprises around 20 percent of Israel’s population.
Prior to Hamas’ October 7 massacre, Israeli Arabs were enduring a wave of internal violence. 2023 was by far the deadliest year for Israeli Arab communities, eclipsing the previous year’s record number of killings. The situation had gotten so bad that community leaders, normally reluctant to involve the state in internal matters, asked Israeli intelligence services to help.
Most of the killings have resulted from gang violence or intimidation. This violence is filling the vacuum left by Israel’s crackdown on Jewish crime families in the early 2000s. Even politicians and their families have increasingly become targets, possibly to intimidate them into giving criminals free rein. In a separate incident on the day of Hussein’s murder, an Israeli court indicted two cousins for murdering a security guard for Taybeh’s mayor back in April.
An inability to repay loansharking debts has led to many of these murders. In some cases, Israeli Arabs borrow from within their community out of distrust or disdain for the formal Israeli banking system. But Israeli banks can also be reluctant to meet the borrowing needs of Israeli Arabs, who often lack the collateral needed to secure loans. Relatedly, Israeli Arab communities tend to suffer from state neglect, inferior education, and high poverty rates. But internal factors, such as the breakdown of family structures and high indebtedness, have also led to this problem.
Hamas’ deadly October 7 rampage through southern Israel overshadowed the internal Arab violence. The terrorist group did not discriminate between Arabs and Jews. To Hamas, both were Israeli and therefore marked for death.
That dark day also witnessed rays of hope and humanity, as Israeli Arabs risked their lives to rescue their Jewish compatriots. For example, Hamas murdered medic Awad Darawshe as he treated wounded Israelis. Many Israeli Arabs are serving in the Israeli army, and some have even paid the ultimate price to defend the state.
An Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) poll published in November 2023 found that 70 percent of Israeli Arabs felt connected to the state, up from 48 percent before the war. And internal violence plummeted in the final two months of 2023.
But perhaps that was a blip. Some Israeli Arabs might have temporarily felt a sense of unity and loyalty. An increased police presence and Israeli security forces’ elevated alertness might have convinced crime families to lay low. But now the murders have resumed, and a March IDI poll found that Israeli Arab affiliation with the state reverted to its pre-war levels.
Progress for the Arab sector in Israel has been on a whiplash trajectory for years. In March 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used Arab high voter turnout as a political bogeyman. But in December, his government allocated billions of dollars to the Arab sector, ameliorating the “poverty and underdevelopment” that have contributed to the “acute crisis of violence and crime,” according to a leading non-profit focused on Israeli Arabs.
During Israel’s clash with Hamas in May 2021, some Arabs in mixed cities launched attacks on their Jewish neighbors. Weeks later, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid shattered the taboo on including Arabs in the governing coalition. The new approach bore fruit in October, when the Bennett-Lapid coalition allocated even more money to the Arab sector and launched a five-year plan to curb violence and crime in Israeli Arab communities.
However, at a time of heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Benjamin Netanyahu tried to make the coalition’s inclusion of an Arab party a political liability. This, coupled with destabilizing moves by the Arab party, contributed to the government’s downfall. Netanyahu’s new government froze — but ultimately released — $50 million from the Bennett-Lapid plan. In a more symbolic development, on July 7, the Netanyahu government approved the establishment of Israel’s first museum of Arab culture.
But some Israeli Arab extremists have played a part in stunting their integration into Israeli society. In October, the Arab owner of a bike shop in Taybeh donated bikes to nearby Jewish kids affected by the Hamas attacks. A few days later, Israeli Arab extremists looted and torched his shop. And since October 7, such extremists have carried out numerous attacks on their Jewish countrymen, creating further distrust and tension among their respective communities.
Progress in Israeli Arab integration has often been two steps forward and one step back, and sometimes even one step forward and two steps back. With the post-October 7 moment of unity now in the rearview mirror, the state must work hard to gain the trust of its Arab citizens. But Israeli Arabs must also diligently secure their integration; integration is a two-way street. This is the only way Arabs and Jews can live securely in their shared country.
David May is a research manager and senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Noy Barel is a research intern. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Follow David on X @DavidSamuelMay. Follow FDD on X @FDD.
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Three Israeli Soldiers Wounded in Drive-by Shooting Terrorist Attack in West Bank
Illustrative: Israeli troops guard, at the scene of a shooting, near Hebron, in the West Bank, August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma
i24 News — Three Israeli soldiers were wounded in a drive-by terrorist attack on Thursday in Nabi Elyas, near the West Bank city of Qalqilya.
Magen David Adom emergency medical services said the three received first aid as they arrived on the scene.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had launched a manhunt to apprehend the terrorist suspects.
“One soldier was moderately injured and two additional soldiers were lightly injured as a result of the attack,” the IDF said. “The soldiers have been evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment and their families have been notified. IDF soldiers are pursuing the terrorists and are reinforcing security on routes and towns in the area.”
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Netanyahu Calls for ‘Demilitarized, Deradicalized’ Post-War Gaza, Proposes ‘Abraham Alliance’ in Speech to US Congress
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint session of the US Congress in Washington, DC on July 24, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Craig Hudson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broadly outlined his vision for the future of Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war ends, emphasized the necessity of maintaining a strong US-Israel relationship, and proposed a new Middle Eastern security alliance in a speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday.
Netanyahu called for a complete revamping of Gaza’s government, suggesting that a “civilian administration” of Palestinians should run the war-torn enclave. Stressing that Israel has no plans of occupying Gaza, the Israeli prime minister suggested that “regional partners” could help maintain a “demilitarized” version of the enclave. He expressed hope that Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, would become “deradicalized” over time.
“Gaza should have a civilian administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That’s not too much to ask,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas launched the ongoing war in Gaza with its Oct. 7 invasion of southern Israel. During the onslaught, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists massacred 1,200 people and kidnapped over 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, whose leaders have vowed to carry out attacks similar to the Oct. 7 pogrom “again and again.”
“A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews, but rather to live in peace with us,” Netanyahu continued. “Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza, but for the foreseeable future we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”
The vast majority of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank still support Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught in southern Israel and don’t believe the terrorist group engaged in war crimes, according to recent polling.
Beyond Gaza, Netanyahu also explained his vision for the broader Middle East, stating that a regional security alliance with the support of the US could help Israel and its neighbors mitigate threats from Iran, the chief international sponsor of Hamas. Leaders of both Iran and Hamas routinely call for Israel’s destruction.
Comparing the current state of the Middle East to post-World War II Europe, Netanyahu underlined the importance of regional cooperation “to counter the growing Iranian threat.” The Israeli premier suggested his proposed defense pact be named “The Abraham Alliance” — a reference to the Abraham Accords, which normalized Israel;s relations with several Arab countries and were brokered with the help of then-US President Donald Trump in 2020.
“The new alliance I envision would be a natural extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords,” Netanyahu said. “Those accords saw peace forged between Israel and four Arab countries, and they were supported by Republicans and Democrats alike. I have a name for this new alliance. I think we should call it ‘The Abraham Alliance.’”
The Israeli leader also emphasized the importance of the US and Israel working together to defeat Iran and its “terrorist proxies.” He warned that Iran plans on targeting the United States for destruction if it succeeds in its goal of eradicating the Jewish state, underscoring the necessity of the two countries continuing their relationship.
Netanyahu continued, claiming that Iran maintains the goal of “exporting the Iranian revolution” across the entire world. The dismantling of Hamas would be a “powerful blow to Iran’s axis of terror,” Netanyahu argued.
“This is not a clash of civilizations. This is a clash between barbarism and civilization,” he declared.
“For Iran, Israel is first, America is next. So when Israel fights Hamas, we’re fighting Iran,” the Israeli premier added. “When we fight Hezbollah, we’re fighting Iran. When we fight the Houthis, we’re fighting Iran. And when we fight Iran, we’re fighting the most radical and murderous enemy of the United States of America.”
Netanyahu also called for the United States to resume the full shipment of offensive arms to Israel, arguing that it would help Jerusalem finish the war faster.
“I deeply appreciate America’s support, including in this current war, but this is an exceptional moment. Fast-tracking US military aid could dramatically expedite an end to the war in Gaza and help prevent a broader war in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. “Give us the tools faster, and we’ll finish the job faster.”
The Biden administration paused some offensive arms shipments of bombs to Israel back in May. Though US President Joe Biden insists that he still supports the Jewish state’s effort to defeat Hamas, he argues that these weapons kill too many Palestinian civilians. Israel insists that these weapons are necessary for the Jewish state to completely dismantle Hamas’ military operations in Gaza, including its underground tunnel network.
During his address, Netanyahu also discussed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, declaring that the massacre will “forever live in infamy” for citizens of Israel much like the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor or the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have for Americans.
The Israeli premier took a moment to honor the approximately 250 hostages taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7. He invited Noa Argamani, a hostage who was freed during an Israeli rescue mission last month, to attend the speech. Several families of American hostages also attended the congressional address. Netanyahu promised that he “will not rest until all of your loved ones are home.” He stated that Israel is engaged in “intensive efforts” to secure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza.
During his speech, Netanyahu showered praise on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for their work in helping to defeat Hamas. He slammed critics of the IDF, touting research from military expert John Spencer that claims Israel has the lowest civilian to combatant casualty ratio of any urban war in history. Instead of unsubstantiated allegations of “genocide,” the IDF should be “commended,” Netanyahu argued.
The Israeli premier specifically highlighted the bravery of an Israeli soldier from Ethiopia who “ran eight miles” to the frontlines of the Israel-Gaza border area on Oct. 7 to combat the invasion. He also heaped praise on a Muslim Israeli soldier who helped defend a kibbutz attacked by Hamas and two other IDF soldiers who were maimed while fighting Hamas.
Netanyahu took a swipe at anti-Israel protesters, claiming that they are standing on the side of “evil” and calling them Iran’s “useful idiots.” He referenced US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’ recent warning that “actors tied to Iran’s government” have encouraged and provided financial support to rampant protests opposing Israel’s defensive military operations against Hamas in Gaza.
Netanyahu thanked Biden for lending military support and aid to Israel, including dispatching two military aircraft carriers to the Middle East “to deter a wider war.” He praised Biden for making a personal visit to Israel during the nation’s “darkest hour.” Touting his 40-year friendship with the US president, Netanyahu thanked Biden for labeling himself a “proud Irish American Zionist.”
Netanyahu also thanked Trump for spearheading the Abraham Accords, moving the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic region on Israel’s northern border previously controlled by Syria. He also condemned the recent assassination attempt on Trump, arguing that political violence “has no place” within democracies.
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3,000 Academics Denounce Boycotts of Israel in New Letter
Anti-Israel students continue to protest at an encampment supporting Palestinians on the Columbia University campus, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in New York City, US, April 25, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Caitlin Och
Nearly 3,000 scholars have signed an open letter which condemns academic boycotts of Israel and calls on university officials to protect the academy from the caprices of politics.
Circulated by several higher education nonprofits, the letter comes amid anti-Zionist students and faculty clamoring for universities to sever ties with Israel and adopt the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement (BDS), a demand that was at the center of an explosion of “encampment” protests which roiled campuses across the country at the end of spring semester.
Formally launched in 2005, the BDS campaign opposes Zionism — a movement supporting the Jewish people’s right to self-determination — and rejects Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation-state. It seeks to isolate the country comprehensively with economic, political, and cultural boycotts as the first step toward its eventual elimination.
Official guidelines issued for the campaign’s academic boycott state that “projects with all Israeli academic institutions should come to an end,” and delineate specific restrictions that adherents should abide by — for instance, denying letters of recommendation to students who seek to study in Israel..
An overwhelming majority of Middle East scholars support boycotting Israel, according to a survey published in November 2022, which found that 91 percent of 500 responding experts from the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) and the American Political Science Association (APSA) “support at least some boycotts” of Israel.
The new letter says such an action would sanction discrimination against Israelis and undermine the university’s mission to foster viewpoint diversity.
“Pressure from anti-Israel protests and the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement has already led to pervasive exclusion of Israeli scientists and students,” it says. “Recently, over 60 Israeli academics from various disciplines have testified to an ‘unprecedented global boycott,’ including canceled invitations to lectures, rejections of scientific papers on political grounds, the freezing of collaborative research projects, disrupted guest lectures, withdrawn co-authorships, and more.”
It continues, “We urge faculty-facing organizations in our countries, including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), the National Conference of University Professors (NCUP), the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV), and other groups committed to an open academic community, to assist us in this effort and to forcefully denounce pernicious trends that are undermining the bedrock principles of the academy.”
The letter has been signed by professors from several prominent universities, including Yale University, Columbia University, University of Maryland, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
“We believe that the academic boycott of Israel, and ostracizing of the country’s scientists and students from international educational spaces, is detrimental to the core values of academic freedom and the open exchange of ideas,” Miriam Elman, executive director of the Academic Engagement Network — a higher education nonprofit which endorsed the letter — said in a statement issued on Monday. “Our open letter seeks to address these harmful trends and galvanize support from the scholarly community to uphold the principles that are foundational to scholarly pursuits.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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