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Israeli police crack down after cruiser shot up in Ramla

Israel’s police expressed anger at an unusual shooting that targeted their officers.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Israeli police responded forcefully after one of their cruisers was shot up in the city of Ramla on Sunday evening. Seven suspects have already been rounded up, including two minors.

The incident occurred at around 10:00 p.m. when police responded to a report of shots fired. When police and Israeli Border Police arrived, shots were directed at them. One bullet hit a police cruiser after which police immediately called for backup.

The event caused a storm within the police department, Channel 12 reports. A senior police official said, “This is crossing a red line. We know the price of shooting in the direction of police. Only a month ago we almost lost an officer.”

In a measure of how serious Israel is taking the event, the new Minister of Public Security Amir Ohana will visit the neighborhood where the shooting took place. He’ll also meet with Ramla Mayor Michael Vidal.

Following the incident, the mayor suspended school for two days.

“In light of the events and concern for residents’ lives, I decided to close studies [in the neighborhood] for the next two days,” Vidal said.

Israel’s Acting Chief of Police held a hearing at noon to discuss recent shootings at police.

Reports of fatal shootings in Ramla are commonplace.

Although predominantly Jewish, the city has a large Arab minority with a strong criminal presence, as it’s the base of one of the most powerful and stable Arab crime families in Israel – the Jarushi family.

“According to estimates, the Jarushis make millions of shekels a year from extortion, dealing drugs, arms trafficking, adjudicating conflicts, and illegal gambling,” reports a Feb. 2019 expose in Tablet Magazine.