Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described the wave of murders taking place in the Arab community as “civil terrorism.”
He said that the deadly violence is a national emergency and form of “terrorism” that threatens the entire country and requires immediate action.
Addressing the opening of the 10th Annual Conference of the Israel Bar Association at the Dan Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv, Herzog noted, in particular, the wave of killings in the Arab Israeli community.
Since the start of the year, 78 Arab Israelis have been murdered.
“I have been following in astonishment, apprehension, and horror for a long time, especially in recent weeks and days, the terrible wave of murders befalling our country in general and Arab society in particular,” the Herzog said.
“I sense that our tendency to use terms that downplay the situation, such as ‘crime families,’ ‘inter-clan conflicts,’ and even ‘family honor killings’ — to describe murders that have nothing to do with honor, nor with family — make it difficult for us to wage this war,” he said.
“And I, therefore, wish to emphasize: This situation is neither esoteric nor peripheral. This is civilian terrorism, for all intents and purposes."
The Israeli government had put a detailed plan to fight violence and crime in the Arab community, and a total of one billion shekels ($333 million) were allocated to implement it.
Deputy Police Commissioner Jamal Hakroush revealed that Arabs commit 70 percent of the overall murders in Israel, although they represent only 20 percent of the residents.
He held everyone responsible for this, including Jews, Arabs, the police, officials, and people.
Hakroush further added that the Arab community is not violent but suffering from the violence phenomenon, stressing that he understands this society because he is part of it.
