Israel's Arab sector is reeling from yet another bloody weekend. Across the country, one murder followed another, taking place against the backdrop of shootings, gang violence, and car accidents. This has become a matter of routine. Arab society seems to have become accustomed to living in a violent sphere, regardless of organized crime.
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Operation Safe Track, declared by the police earlier this year to deal with crime in the Arab sector and strengthen governance and deterrence in Arab towns, was recently hailed as a "success" by the prime minister, Jewish and Arab lawmakers, and top police brass.
The celebrations, however, were clearly premature. Even if overall murder rates were down compared to last year, it would have been wiser to wait until the end of the year before declaring the results. December is a long way away and by the end of the year, the statistics could be the same as last year.
War on crime is the police's primary role but they have has shown that they are either not up to the job role or simply fail to prioritize it. All one needs to know is that only one-third of murder cases in the sector are solved. This, of course, does little to generate deterrence and it is easy to understand that we are in trouble.
If there is one thing more troubling than organized crime in the Arab sector it is general violence. Anyone involved in any kind of dispute can easily get a weapon and "exact a price" from the other party without giving it a second thought – unless that other party is Jewish; because if Jews get hurt, the Shin Bet steps in and usually solves the case.
Given all of this, is there any wonder public confidence in law enforcement is at an all-time low?
Fighting crime in the Arab sector has become something of an experiment for the police and various government ministries. The question of what has been done over the last decade has many answers, but no one will own up to the failure – it remains an orphan.
It is difficult to separate organized crime, which has intensified over the last two decades due to a lack of routine countermeasures by the police, from the general violence in Arab society. This violence – be it lawless driving, road rage, incidents in the public sphere, or witnessing a violent crime – touches everyone.
In the public sphere in Arab localities it is difficult to be fair, make a comment, or refuse to carry out "instructions," As you or your family could find yourselves facing property damage, court proceedings, or even in the hospital.
In Arab society, if you want to simply live your life, you have to be smart – not right. You need to turn a blind eye and mind your own business. It is better to put your tail between your legs and keep your head down, because the local authority, the police, and the government are weak in the face of crime.
Any Israeli government will have to pay attention to what is happening in Arab society because time is working against the state.
At present, what is requires more than an increase in budgets and police operations, is the harnessing of all influential and authoritative forces toward this objective. We must invest in the right places: education, culture and sports, and most of all in frameworks that will address the issue of youth who roam the streets aimlessly and quickly fall into the cycle of violence from a young age.
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