Ramping up protests over deadly crime, Arab society brings struggle to Jewish street

Saturday night, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv in an outpouring of frustration against the government. They marched from Hostages Square to Habima Theater, waving black flags and accusing the state of leaving its citizens for dead. The protest was led by the country’s Arab minority, who arrived on chartered buses from across Israel, joining secular liberal Jews in a rare display of joint civic solidarity. This event follows two weeks of daily protests and strikes in Arab communities against rampant gang violence and organized crime. In 2025, a record 252 Arab citizens were killed in crime-related violence, a 300% increase since 2017. The 2026 homicide rate is already outpacing last year, with 37 deaths recorded by the end of January. The movement was sparked by a strike in Sakhnin after local business owners, including Ali Zbedat, went public about being targeted by mafia protection rackets. Protesters and leaders, such as Jamal Zahalka of the High Follow-Up Committee, blame National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for law enforcement neglect. Arab leadership is now seeking to leverage this momentum into nationwide strikes and a unified political front ahead of upcoming elections. Additional protests are planned for Jerusalem on Sunday and a 'day of disturbance' on Tuesday.