Police officers from Arab communities have accused law enforcement of negligence and unequal treatment in tackling violent crime, as homicides among Arab citizens reach record levels this year.
“I’ve been in the police for 10 years. Honestly, I don’t see the police doing everything they can to fight crime. There is clear negligence and disregard,” one Arab officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If they wanted to eliminate crime, they would do it. But they are dragging their feet and not providing the necessary services to Arab citizens.”
His comments come amid a surge in violence in Arab communities. Since the start of the year, 50 Arab citizens have been killed, compared with 35 during the same period last year. Despite the high number, police have solved only four of the cases.
Another Arab officer, who previously served in Arab towns and now works in a Jewish city, said differences in enforcement were evident.
“In the past, I worked in Arab communities and saw that when murders occurred, police would arrive and gather in one place, but I did not feel commanders emphasized the need to act to reach the criminals,” he said. “Investigations were slow and most did not lead to developments.”
By contrast, he said that in the Jewish city where he now serves, he sees “a very large force, serious investigations and immediate arrests over the same type of incident.”
“When I see this treatment, I understand why crime is raging in Arab communities,” he said. “There is clear discrimination in how criminal cases are handled in Arab and Jewish cities. It causes me frustration and despair.”
A third officer serving in the Triangle region — a cluster of predominantly Arab towns in central Israel near the Green Line — said Arab officers themselves suffer from the violence and face significant challenges while trying to track down suspects.
He cited a case in which a grenade was thrown at a house in Nazareth several months ago. “It is clearly unacceptable, but the feeling is that senior police officials want to downplay the incident,” he said.
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The officer also voiced broader concerns. “I have many questions about how the organization operates. I have been at numerous murder scenes and in most of them there are no arrests,” he said. “It makes me think maybe there is a connection between police and crime gangs. Even I, as a police officer, do not feel personal security and fear these gangs. All of this stems from the failure of the police to deal with criminals.”
In a statement, Israel Police rejected the allegations.
“At this time, most of the dedicated forces and efforts in the fight against serious crime are invested in combating violence and crime organizations in Arab communities,” the statement said. Police said they act “resolutely and without bias, with no distinction between communities and sectors.”
The statement added that investigations into murders and serious violence in Arab communities present complex challenges and often encounter difficulties, including lack of cooperation, refusal to provide testimony, tampering with crime scenes and concealment of evidence.
Police said they stand behind all officers and are working to strengthen the personal security of those serving on the front lines, adding that efforts to combat crime will continue “with determination, consistency and without compromise for the safety of the entire public.”