After the Murder of Muhammad Al-Tarabin by Police Gunfire: Emergency Meeting in Rahat and Escalatory Decisions

SadaNews - The Forum of Heads of Arab Local Authorities in the South, the Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arabs in the Negev, and the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages held an emergency meeting in the city of Rahat on Sunday evening, following the murder of young Muhammad Hussein Al-Tarabin from the village of Tarabin Al-San'aneh by Israeli police gunfire.

The attendees confirmed in a joint statement their strong condemnation of the crime, holding the full responsibility to elements affiliated with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing him of "direct incitement against the residents of Tarabin Al-San'aneh."

The statement read: "The deceased Muhammad is a son of our Arab community as a whole, and any harm to him is harm to all of us. This crime will not pass without accountability."

A number of decisions were made during the meeting, the most notable of which are:
"- Demanding the immediate release of the deceased's body and organizing an official and popular funeral.
- Removing the concrete blocks and lifting the siege imposed on the village.
- Calling for an emergency meeting of the Higher Follow-Up Committee and the National Committee in Rahat by Tuesday to discuss protest steps, including declaring a comprehensive strike.
- Organizing a national demonstration in front of the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem next Sunday, November 1, 2026.

- A meeting for the Forum of Heads of Authorities with the President of the State after the funeral of the late Muhammad Hussein Al-Tarabin - Al-San'aneh, with the participation of Jewish local authority heads from the south, to present the demands of the Arab Bedouin community in the Negev and convey its message clearly and explicitly.

- Demanding the immediate dismissal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as he is considered the primary inciter and directly responsible for the incitement campaigns against the Arab Bedouin community in the Negev.

- Calling on journalists and members of our community to highlight media attention and address public opinion regarding the danger of systematic incitement and what is happening against the people of the Negev.

- Sending official telegrams and messages to foreign embassies in the country to showcase the systematic incitement and discriminatory policies faced by the people of Negev.

- Announcing a complete media boycott of Channel 14, due to its central role in ongoing and dangerous incitement against the Arab Bedouin community in the Negev, disseminating inciting and racist discourse that threatens public peace and undermines community cohesion and citizen security."

Source: Arab 48