‘Wake up!’ – Northerner warns of illegal weapons in Arab villages

A resident of northern Israel says daily gunfire from nearby Arab villages signals rising security risks to entire region.

By World Israel News Staff

A resident of a kibbutz in northern Israel is warning that daily gunfire from nearby Arab villages underscores the danger of the proliferation of illegal weapons, which could soon spill into widespread violence across the region.

“Every day, there are two or three shooting incidents — bursts [of gunfire] from Kalashnikovs or M16s, as well as fireworks,” said Oz Kedoshim, a resident of Beit Rimon in the Lower Galilee, speaking to Arutz Sheva.

Kedoshim said that despite repeated complaints, police have failed to take action.

Last Saturday, there was celebratory gunfire at a wedding in a nearby Arab municipality that rattled residents of the kibbutz, he recounted to Arutz Sheva.

“There were incessant bursts [of gunfire]. The police did not arrive, did not shut the event down in any way,” he said, despite the shooting continuing for hours.

He described the situation as increasingly dangerous, citing the widespread presence of illegal firearms in Arab communities.

“Everyone here has weapons, and [the authorities] do not care,” Kedoshim said, adding that residents have told him about stores in nearby villages that openly sell guns.

“In Kafr Kanna alone, there are, by estimates, some 10,000 illegal weapons of various types,” he warned.

Kedoshim urged the government and law enforcement to act before tragedy strikes. “Someone needs to wake up,” he said.

A spokesperson for Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir — who has long vowed to crack down on Arab crime — said authorities are taking steps to ensure public safety.

“In the past, the police did not enter the villages, but now there is extensive police activity on the issue. When you lift the stones, the snakes come out,” the minister’s office said in a statement.

“We are acting with full force against crime. There is much work to do, but we are working and, God willing, we will succeed.”