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Arab community criticizes Ben-Gvir for lack of crime prevention – Israel News

Doctors at Shamir Medical Center are still battling to save a two-month-old baby who was seriously injured in a deadly explosion in Ramle on Thursday. The blast killed four people, including two children.

A six-year-old girl who was also injured in the explosion remains in stable condition in hospital.

The main street in Ramle became a battlefield between crime families yesterday after a massive car explosion rocked the city. Four people were killed in the explosion, including a mother and her daughter, a woman and another child. The names of those killed are Duaa Abu Halawa, Sila Abu Halawa, a 10-year-old boy, Muhammad Abu Halawa and 14-year-old Lin Maghrabi.

On Thursday, clashes broke out between the victims' families and police outside the Shamir Medical Center. Three Ramle residents were arrested on suspicion of disturbing public order and attacking police officers. Opposition leader Yair Lapid verbally attacked National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, saying he had failed in his duty.

“Ben-Gvir is currently standing at a bloody crime scene in Ramle, and instead of taking responsibility, he continues to complain – as always – about the ombudsman,” he said. “Many ministers before him have failed in their role, but Ben-Gvir is the first to make failure his profession.”

The Abraham Initiatives, a Jewish-Arab NGO working for integration and equality, blamed the government for the violent incident.

Members of the Arab community march to protest against violence in their community in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. August 31, 2023 (Source: FLASH90)

“The total neglect of the Arab community has reached a new peak,” they said. “Victims of violence and crime are also victims of politics. The current government's policies are to blame for this, which leave Arab citizens at the mercy of criminal organizations. The government must change its policies. Its racism against Arabs undermines the foundations of the state. The Prime Minister must immediately take control, dismiss the ineffective National Security Minister and implement the government's proven anti-crime model.”

Since the beginning of 2024, 169 Arabs have lost their lives to violence and crime in Israel. Data from the Abraham Initiatives show that there were 174 victims in the corresponding period last year, and the year ended with a historic high number of people killed.



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