Arab Israeli city fights gun violence
After a school principal was murdered in the classroom, the town of Tayibe is backing police efforts to get rid of guns, lessen violence between clans and make schools safe for children.
TAYIBE, Israel — The town of Tayibe is still reeling from the murder of Amal school principal Yussuf Haj Yihya, about a week before the end of the summer vacation on Aug. 25. His murder on the school premises, during a meeting with teachers, appalled many in Tayibe, despite its reputation as a town rife with violence and crime.
This week, too, the murder is all anybody talks about. As in other cases of a police-imposed blackout, in the town’s cafes people make do with suppositions and rumors related to the case. The biggest concern is that the town’s schools are no longer out of bounds for criminals.
“This murder is inconceivable,” said a young man from the Haj Yihya clan, “It’s sad that we’ve come to this. The murder of an educator inside a school shows the extent of the danger we all face everywhere in town.”
“When will we have the basic right to walk around and live here in peace and security?” said a Tayibe resident and mother of two schoolchildren. “Now the violence has come into the school to which we send our kids every day.”
