Nabil Safiya had taken a break from his revisions for a biology exam to meet a cousin in a pizzeria when a gunman on a motorcycle drove by and opened fire, killing the 15-year-old as he sat in a black Renault.
The police later indicated that it was a mistaken identityNabil's hometown, Kafr Yasifwas in shock. Like many Palestinian towns in Israel, it is regularly hit by gang violence and family feuds. "There's no longer a set time for gunfire. It can kill you at school, in the street, or in a football stadium."said Ashraf Safiya, Nabil's father.
Daily and persistent violence
Violence affecting Israel's Arab minority has become an inevitable part of daily lifeActivists have long accused the authorities of not acting effectivelya sentiment that has intensified under the current far-right government.
One in five Palestinians in Israel is a victim of violent crime rates more than 22 times higher to those of Jewish citizens, while arrests and indictments remain very low. For critics, these discrepancies demonstrate a structural discrimination and abandonment by the authorities.
Demonstrations and strikes
A growing number of protests across IsraelThousands of people marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to demand concrete measures, while some Arab communities closed schools and businesses.
After Nabil's murder in November, residents protested in the streets, students boycotted classes, and the Safiya family transformed their home into lieu de mémoire with photos and posters of Nabil. "There is one law for Jewish society and a different law for Palestinian society.", said Ghassan Munayyer, a political activist from Lod, during a recent demonstration.
An epidemic of violence
Some Palestinian citizens hold the highest positions in business and politics in Israel, but many feel abandoned by the authoritiesliving in underinvested communities with high unemployment, a source of frustration and mistrust.
According to the Israeli NGO Abraham Initiatives, 252 Palestinian citizens were killed in Israel last year, a record. The tally continues to climb, with at least 26 other crime-related murders in January.
Walid Haddad, criminologist and former official at the Ministry of National Security, explains that organized crime thrives thanks to arms trafficking, loan sharking, and extortionGangs earn thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the severity of the acts, from simply setting cars on fire to assassinating rivals. "If they score once or twice a month, they can buy cars, go on trips. It's easy money."Haddad points out.
Daily life turned upside down, insufficient prosecutions
Violence has paralyzed the lives of Palestinian communitiesIn Kafr Yasif, a town in northern Israel with 10,000 inhabitants, the streets empty out as soon as night falls and gunfire is frequent, even while people sleep.
Last year, only 8% of the murders of Palestinian citizens led to indictments, compared to 55% in Jewish communities, according to Abraham Initiatives. "In recent years, frustrated and depressed Palestinians have been demanding 'do what is necessary, even if it means more police in our cities'."explains Lama Yassin, director of the NGO.
The murders have become a rallying cry for Palestinian political partiesdenouncing the selective application of the law and police apathy. "We've been talking about it for 10 years.", says MP Aida Touma-Suleiman. "Police presence in our communities is a form of collective punishment. When Jews are victims, the police deploy massive forces. When it's Palestinians, they turn a blind eye."
A feeling of impunity
Many communities believe that Impunity has worsened. under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, despite visible campaigns against other crimes. Israeli police reject these accusations, stating that the killings in these communities remain a priority, but they highlight the difficulties in investigations due to a lack of cooperation from witnesses.
A family's pain and the call for change
Ashraf Safiya, Nabil's father, refuses to accept his son's death. one more statisticHe recounts the scene: Nabil, injured, is taken to the hospital, where he is pronounced dead. "This boy's blood must not be wasted.", said Safiya, explaining the mobilization of the residents and the demonstrations.
The authorities announced they were preparing a charges brought against a 23-year-old suspect, arrested in a neighboring town. Nabil was allegedly the victim of a blood feud within Arab society.
During a demonstration in Kafr Yasif at the end of January, portraits of Nabil and another young man who had been killed were carried. Police dispersed the crowd and arrested its leaders, including the former head of the municipal council. Residents believe this show of force calmed the demonstration, but did nothing to stop the murders.
