A young man in his twenties was shot to death in the town of Shibli-Umm al-Ghaym in Lower Galilee on Monday evening. The medical emergency team transported him to HaEmek Hospital in Afula, where he was pronounced dead. This tragic incident adds to the alarming statistic that since the beginning of the year, 57 people have been murdered in Israel within a span of 54 days, a shocking 51 of whom were from the Arab community. The frequency of these killings raises concerns about public safety and underscores a deeper issue affecting the Arab population in the country.

Data from recent years indicates a disturbing trend, with the murder rate among Arab citizens of Israel drastically increasing since Itamar Ben Gvir was appointed Minister of National Security at the end of 2022. In 2025, an average of one Arab citizen was murdered every 36 hours, highlighting the intensity of the violence in that community. For comparison, the total number of Arab murders rose from 108 in 2022, before Ben Gvir's appointment, to 249 in 2025, reflecting a significant escalation in violence. The situation appears to be worsening in the early months of 2026, prompting urgent calls for action.

Recently, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials have been attempting to distance themselves from the responsibility for this spike in violence within the Arab community. Reports indicate that Netanyahu is moving the responsibility for combating crime in the Arab sector away from his office to that of Minister Ben Gvir, likely in an effort to avoid being associated with the rising death toll. Ben Gvir, for his part, has made controversial statements suggesting that the responsibility for the murders lies with legal advisors, indicating a reluctance to take accountability for the crisis affecting the Arab community. This ongoing issue demands more attention from Israeli leadership as citizens call for greater safety and justice.