Arab crime syndicates drive surge in killings across northern Israel

Police touted an undercover operation that led to 23 arrests earlier this month.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Northern Israel, particularly in Arab communities, is under threat from struggles between organized crime groups seeking to control territory or exact revenge on rivals, according to a recent investigative report by Ynet.

Numerous criminal organizations, each with dozens to hundreds of “soldiers,” operate in the region.

Most are run by Arab clans that generate vast sums through protection rackets, extortion schemes and murder, the report said.

In Wadi Ara and the Galilee, for example, the Al-Asmar group is based in Umm al-Fahm, the Karaja clan operates in Harish, and Abu Shaheb of the Suweid family is centered in Shfaram.

Nazareth, known for being the birthplace of Jesus, has become “a dangerous place” for business owners, one resident told the news site.

“We are in constant danger because of these criminal organizations, and many of us have closed our businesses to stop these threats,” the local said. “At night, the roads are almost empty because of the danger to the lives of the residents. Today, anyone can be a victim of murder without knowing [why].”

Turf wars between gangs have led to killings of people targeted solely because they share the last names of rival groups, despite having no involvement in criminal activity.

Blood feuds often develop after gang members are killed, triggering cycles of retaliation and additional murders.

Innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time have also been killed.

Police have had limited success curbing the violence, as reflected by the hundreds of civilian deaths in recent years and the low rate at which homicide cases are solved.

Since 2023, 721 murders have been recorded in all in the Arab sector, through Dec. 4, nearly double the combined total of the previous three years.

This includes other kinds of homicides as well, such as those resulting from private family feuds and honor killings.

Only 71 cases — less than 10% — have been solved.

Authorities cited a breakthrough earlier this month when hundreds of police officers, Border Police and special units raided dozens of sites linked to senior criminal figures, arresting 23 suspects.

Those arrested included at least one of the four brothers alleged to lead the Abu Latif crime syndicate, one of the country’s most powerful organizations.

The group has even infiltrated Defense Ministry service bids by threatening contractors, according to a March report in Ynet.

The arrest operation was made possible by an undercover police officer known as “the Prince,” who spent more than a year embedded in the criminal underworld gathering evidence, the report said.

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