Israeli police arrest 145 to thwart clashing clans in Arab village

Israeli security forces launched massive raids and arrested suspects carrying weapons such as a Carlo submachine gun, Molotov cocktails and a grenade.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Massive police forces raided the village of Turan early Sunday morning and arrested 145 men suspected of involvement in violent brawls, arsons and shooting incidents, an attempt to end the clashes between two rival clans in the village.

Following a series of violent incidents in the past week in the village of Turan in northern Israel, part of an ongoing feud between two families over the results of local elections in October 2018, 250 policemen from all over the Northern District raided the village and arrested 145 suspects involved in the violent clashes, including arson and shootings.

These arrests are in addition to 11 other suspects who were arrested over the weekend, some caught with weapons including a Carlo submachine gun, Molotov cocktails and a grenade.

The detention of the 11 suspects was extended in the Magistrate’s Court at the request of the police.

Police forces have remained on-site to maintain public order and prevent further clashes between the families involved.

“The Israel Police takes violent incidents in general very seriously, with an emphasis on incidents involving personalities in public office, and the police will use all means to locate those violent criminals and bring them to justice,” it stated Sunday.

“At the same time, the Israel Police call on the residents and the local leadership, [who are] also [parties] to the conflict, to put out the flames, take responsibility and act immediately to calm the winds in order to restore calm to the village,” it added.

Since the beginning of 2021, 10 people have been murdered in Arab localities.

The police have launched several similar operations in Arab localities to stem the ongoing wave of violence and crimes within the Arab sector.

The police increased its activity against the wave of shootings and weapons offenses in Israel in 2020 and arrested 5,713 suspects in shootings and other weapons crimes throughout the country, an increase of 22% compared to 2019.

The vast majority of police activity was carried out in the Arab sector, and about 90% of the suspects arrested for shooting and weapons offenses were Arab Israelis

Over 100 Arabs were murdered in Israel throughout 2020.

Approximately 85% of the indictments filed in Israel in 2020 for shooting, illegal possession of weapons, trafficking, and illegal use of weapons have been filed against suspects from the Arab sector.

Israeli Arabs represent about 20% of the general population.