Palestinian hands tied as crime rises in East Jerusalem
Palestinians living in East Jerusalem are concerned by rising crime among the Arab population and complain that Israeli security forces are turning a blind eye while blocking Palestinian security forces from establishing control.
Within less than a week, three Palestinian men were killed by fellow Palestinians in acts of revenge, gang activity and a possible contract killing. Palestinians, especially in Jerusalem, have voiced serious concerns about the collapse of social order and ensuing chaos.
Khalil Assali, the publisher of the Jerusalem-focused news site Akhbar el-Balad, told Al-Monitor that Israel doesn’t care about what happens in East Jerusalem and the Palestinians are unable to stop the killings. “Some of the killings are often struggles over land or at times over petty issues, while in other cases there are clear signs of contract killings,” Assali said.
