A 48-year-old from Jadeidi-Makr in northern Israel was shot dead outside of his home on Friday in what police fear may have been a retaliatory attack for the killing of another resident of the Arab town earlier this week.
Mamun Rabah, who has sought to raise awareness of rampant crime plaguing Israel’s Arab communities since his son Wisam was shot dead in January 2021, was rushed to the Galil Medical Center in Nahariya in critical condition before doctors were forced to declare his death.
Police believe the suspect fired at Rabah from a passing car before managing to flee. Officers arrived at the scene shortly thereafter and began collecting evidence.
On Thursday, another Jadeidi-Makr native — 18-year-old Wasim Khaled Kiyal — was killed in the nearby town of Nahariya in what police said was a criminal shooting. Kiyal’s brother and a friend were with him at the time and were also injured in the attack, which police were investigating whether it was connected to Friday’s incident.
Residents of Jadeidi-Makr told the Haaretz daily that Kiyal left his hometown shortly after Rabah’s son Wisam was killed. The Rabah family accused the Kiyal’s of involvement in the murder, apparently leading to the decision by several members of the latter family to flee to Nahariya for their safety.
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Police have yet to make an arrest in the January 2021 murder of Wisam Rabah, which his father had lamented was a demonstration of Israeli authorities’ indifference to crime in Arab towns.
הנרצח בג'דיידה מכר: מאמון רבאח נורה ליד ביתו. בנו ויסאם נורה למוות גם הוא לפני כ-10 חודשים
(מיכל וסרמן) pic.twitter.com/AcytrT7D42— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 7, 2022
Mansour Abbas, who chairs the Islamist Ra’am party in a Friday statement called on Prime Minister Yair Lapid to send reinforcements to Jadeidi-Makr in order to “prevent a bloodbath.”
Following the latest shooting, a large riot broke out in Jadeidi-Makr, which included stone-throwing and even the torching of several homes. Police were on site attempting to restore order.
Arab communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years. Many blame the police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women. The communities have also suffered from years of neglect.
