Lod: Protest Demonstration Against Crime, Extortion, and Neglect Policy

SadaNews - Last night, Saturday, a demonstration took place in the city of Lod, with the participation of dozens of the city’s residents and the Arab community, protesting against the worsening violence and crime, the rise of extortion, and demanding an end to what the participants described as a policy of neglect and inertia by the authorities in addressing crime in the Arab community.

A march was originally planned to roam the city streets under the title "Black Flags," but the program was changed to remain at the starting site due to it coinciding with two deaths and funerals in the city.

The protesters gathered in the Lod market square, raising black flags and holding banners with slogans denouncing violence and crime, as well as others carrying messages of protest against government policies, and what they called negligence in protecting Arab citizens.

Victims’ families of murder crimes participated in the demonstration alongside social and political activists and public figures, affirming their rejection of the ongoing bloodshed and violence that claims the lives of hundreds in Arab towns.

Participants chanted calls for combating organized crime, putting an end to extortion and illegal weapons, and called for serious government action to ensure the personal safety of Arab citizens and to stop the state of impunity.

The demonstration was called by the Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens and the National Committee of Arab Local Authorities, as part of a series of protest steps taking place in Arab towns amid the continued rise in killings and violence.

Alia Abu Sahhab from Lod, sister of victim Shadi Abu Sahhab, told "Arabs 48" that "my brother was killed on July 26, 2023, when an explosive device was planted in his friend’s car, resulting in my brother's death a week before his wedding."

She added, "Each crime victim is a story and a world for them and their family. Murder is not just an incident but demolishes entire families, so the authorities must work to deter these crimes."

Aida Badawieh from Lod, mother of murder victim Walid Badawieh, who was killed while leaving the mosque in the city, told "Arabs 48," "My son had no problems or disputes with anyone; he worked and had a family with three children, but the treachery of bullets took him from us."

She continued, "No one has been arrested in my son's case until now, which shows how much the authorities disregard the lives of our children, and the police are responsible for the murder cases in our community."

The head of the Higher Follow-Up Committee, Dr. Jamal Zahalka, held the Israeli authorities responsible for combating crime, stating, "It is the authorities that have the power to collect weapons and arrest criminals."

He added, "The presence of hundreds here reflects the stance of hundreds of thousands of our people who reject this crime."

Akram Saqallah, a member of the municipal council in Lod, stated that "the demonstration came amid the spread of crime in our community from north to south, hence these protests must continue and should not stop in light of the spread of crime and police inertia in combating it."

Maazin Ghnaim, the head of the National Committee of Arab Local Authorities and mayor of Sakhnin, criticized the media and the Israeli government for describing crime as linked to culture and upbringing in the Arab community, and "yet they overlook the high education rates in our society, the rates of Bagrut eligibility, Arab university students, and all the workforce."

He added, "They look at us and accuse us of our culture, but the reality is different, as it is the authorities that support these gangs."

Ibrahim Badawieh, head of the popular committee in the city of Ramla, stated that "what is happening in the city of Lod is not random, but rather a targeting of the city and the historic coastal cities, and this is what we must be aware of. This targeting is an attack on our Arab existence in the cities."

This demonstration comes less than 24 hours after two murders took place in the Arab community, which claimed the lives of Imad Ighbariah from Masharfet and Majed Sabih from Kfar Kana, raising the toll of murder victims in the Arab community since the beginning of this year to 123 dead.

This occurs amid the rise in violence and organized crime in Arab towns, and the absence of serious government plans to address the rampant violence in Arab towns, which contributes to an increasing sense of lack of personal security and a rise in the number of victims year after year.

Data indicates that most of the victims were killed by gunfire, amid ongoing criticism of Israeli police policies and their failure to curb crime and pursue criminal organizations, while murders continue to occur at an almost daily rate in the Arab community.