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Tel Aviv [Israel], February 10 (ANI/TPS): Israeli Arabs and Jews launched a series of nationwide protests on Tuesday demanding urgent government action to stem a deadly wave of violence in the country's Arab communities.
The protests, organized by families of murder victims together with the Jewish-Arab movement Standing Together, disrupted traffic and public spaces from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Haifa and in the south, underscoring growing frustration over what participants describe as a persistent lack of personal security. Demonstrations kicked off in Jaffa's Clock Square, with more protests planned in Jerusalem, Beer-Sheva, Lod, Tamra, and Jisr a-Zarqa. The day is scheduled to conclude with a large evening rally in Haifa. As part of what organizers called a "National Day of Disruption," protesters also staged brief walkouts at workplaces. Jamal Zahalka, a former lawmaker and chairman of The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, said the disruptions reflect everyday reality for many Arab citizens. "Today we had a day of disruptions on the roads because our lives are completely disrupted," he said. "Arab citizens suffer from a total lack of security." Zahalka called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee is an umbrella organization of Israeli Arab municipal leaders. In Tel Aviv, families of the murder victims and other activists briefly blocked southbound lanes of the Ayalon Highway, the city's main traffic artery, halting traffic for about half an hour before the road was reopened. In a separate protest near Allenby Street, close to the beachfront, a woman in her 60s was detained after allegedly pouring red paint into a public fountain. Similar scenes unfolded in Haifa, where demonstrators gathered near city hall. Police said several protesters were detained for pouring red dye into a fountain in a nearby public garden. In Jerusalem, police moved in after protesters blocked the main road at the city's entrance. Police made seven arrests overall. The demonstrations are part of an escalating campaign against violent crime that has disproportionately affected Arab citizens of Israel, who make up about one-fifth of the population. Since the beginning of the year, 38 people have been killed in incidents linked to criminal violence in Arab towns and neighborhoods, according to protest organizers. Many blame the government for failing to address illegal weapons, organized crime networks, and longstanding neglect of Arab communities. The surging violence is a continuation of a record number of 252 Israeli-Arab homicides in 2025. The numbers are attributed to organized crime groups fighting turf battles and attempting to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in weapons, drugs, and women. (ANI/TPS)
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