More than 3,000 Jews and Arabs demonstrated in the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Thursday evening against the far-right government inaction and police’s failure to fight crime in Arab society. The protesters marched from Horev Center to Central Carmel, carrying 160 mock-coffins corresponding to the number of people killed since the beginning of 2023 in the Arab community. MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash), a Haifa resident who has received death threats from criminal organizations, took part in the rally.

160 mock-coffins at the protest of the far-right government’s inaction amid a violent wave of crime in Arab communities, Haifa, August 31, 2023 (Photo: Zo Haderech)

A few hours before the protest, was shot dead Nur Riyan, 40, at an apartment in the northern coastal city. Her partner was present but managed to escape the apartment with moderate injuries and later gave testimony to police.

On Friday night, two men were shot and killing the northern town of Kafr Qara.

The two were identified as Omar Sa’id, a 33-year-old from Qalansawe, and a 13-year-old boy. Sa’id married one of the boy’s relatives two months ago. The pair were shot while in a car, which rolled off the side of the road. Paramedics from the Magen David Adom Ambulance service declared them dead at the scene.

According to the Abraham Initiatives, an anti-violence advocacy group, the pair’s deaths brought the number of Arabs violently killed this year to 165, an all-time high and more than double the figure at the same last year. Most of the victims were killed in shootings.

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31189