Killing with the Approval of Authorities

Almost every day, there are reports of gun violence. Fatalities and injuries, in addition to the state of terror experienced by many families and substantial material losses; indeed, Arabs have become unsafe in their own homes.

After every murder, there is much discussion about police responsibility. Last week, the police killed the late Muhammad Saleh Khalaila! Many questioned, why didn’t the police arrest him instead of killing him? Couldn’t they have arrested him, especially after he was injured? And that the deceased took refuge in a narrow place from which he could not escape!

Some protest and say, "You demand that the police intervene to protect people, but when they intervene and shoot a young man involved in crime, you condemn them!" The truth is that the real question is not whether it was possible to arrest him or shoot him in the legs? Nor is it about how the police deal with these cases! These are outcomes, not causes!

The fundamental question is why and how does weaponry reach the Arab community so easily? Where are the police and the Shabak concerning the weapons that have become almost openly displayed in our streets and alleys? Where is the police concerning the surveillance cameras in the streets that record gunfire incidents! Is there anyone monitoring and investigating? It is more likely that there are directives to the police to allow the chaos of weapons to spread in the Arab community with premeditated intent.

The authorities' laxity regarding the spread of weapons is intentional and programmed under the auspices of high-ranking officials, especially since the Minister of National Security openly declares his animosity towards Arab citizens.

The authorities hold Arab youths accountable for a post on Facebook or Instagram, claiming it incites violence, arresting some of them, while the courts impose fines and order imprisonment for some.

The authorities that see a post condemning the occupation do not see the weapons being bought and sold as if they were mere toys for entertainment.

Clearly, we say that the fascist racist authorities want this chaos and destruction in our community; it is the best means to achieve their strategy and the sinister dreams they harbor against our masses.

The authorities openly demonstrate their hostility towards our people by restricting them in housing and structural plans and through the policy of demolishing homes and commercial establishments, as well as destroying entire villages of Arabs in the Negev under the guise of enforcing the law.

The authorities see the Arabs as a problem, and their ministers and Knesset members, officials, and journalists talk day and night about the demographic issue. There is thinking and action to adjust the demographic balance by pushing Arab youths to various parts of the world.

The authorities, which declare their clear intentions towards us, are responsible for the chaos of weapons, turning a blind eye to those who trade in it, under high directives; they know the source of every bullet, how it arrived, how much it cost, and where it was directed.

Some say that education is fundamental, meaning that the family bears the responsibility for the deviation of one of its children.

Without a doubt, education is a very important foundation, but regardless of how good and excellent the upbringing on values and good morals is, it needs a central authority to punish deviants. Punishment is part of the educational process, "And there is a life for you in retaliation, O people of understanding."

No matter how sincere and genuine parents are in raising their children towards good and avoiding evil, this does not replace the need for a central authority that punishes delinquents, maintains order, and deters them. The authorities are capable of preventing disasters before they occur; they could cut off the arms trade or at least reduce it to a minimum, but they do not do so, thereby sending a message to gangs and their arms that they can continue unchecked because the authorities do not intervene and are not serious about searching for and deterring them.

Palestinian Arabs in Israel have become like orphans at a table of the stingy. The authorities do not wish us well in our homeland and will not act seriously to stop the bloodshed.

The authorities have decided to turn our reality into a hell that drives youths and even families to despair and emigration. The chaos of weapons is part of a programmed process to destroy our community, and many young people are executing this government plan without realizing the dangerous role they are playing towards themselves, their families, their people, and their community; only a very few understand the seriousness of what they are doing and are aware that they are fulfilling government interests. In the end, everyone asks, what can be done?

Regrettably, the authorities' project is currently successful, and to curb its success and failure, there is no escape from increasing the exposure of the authorities and their plans, and guidance and messaging to the young generation that the chaos of weapons is part of a well-studied governmental program aimed at targeting them before anyone else, and that the authorities that turn a blind eye when they armed and fired in their homeland are the same ones that will show no mercy if they find any justification or even a slight opportunity to kill them.