Israeli police on Saturday were probing four shooting deaths within 24 hours in Arab Israeli towns, following elections in which Arab candidates said that violent crime was a top campaign issue.
During a wedding party in the Bedouin town of Basmat Tab'un, northwest of Nazareth, a man opened fire, killing a 43-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman after an alleged brawl erupted over the serving of alcohol. According to another witness, the shooting began over a disagreement between two local families.
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Two more wedding attendees were wounded and said to be in severe and moderate condition. "Police are investigating the circumstances," a police statement said without giving details.
In another incident, police said a 38-year-old man was shot dead Friday while driving near the small Arab town of Yasif, also in northern Israel.
Additionally on Friday, police reported a man in his thirties was found shot dead in a car in the village of Musmus, about 30 miles away. Police gave no further information and a court order barred publication of details of both the Musmus and Yasif killings.
Israel's Arab parties, running under a Joint Arab List alliance, emerged from Tuesday's general election as an important force. Provisional official results gave them 13 seats – the third-largest in Israel's 120-member Knesset, ahead of final results to be announced on Wednesday.
Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh tweeted on Saturday that addressing the violence endemic in many Israeli Arab communities would be his top priority.
"The elections are over but the crime epidemic in Arab society continues," he wrote. "Four people murdered within 24 hours. This is the first issue we will address. We have no choice but to bring security back to the streets and live in a weapons-free society."
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
