Treated as 'enemies’: Ahmad Tibi accuses Netanyahu government of indifference to Arab Israeli lives
In an interview with Al-Monitor, Arab Israeli leader Ahmad Tibi said that Israeli police are failing to address the uptick of violent crimes in Arab towns, attributing this to the current government's lack of willingness and prejudice.
Knesset member Ahmad Tibi accused the Israeli government and police of refusing to engage with and come to the aid of the Arab public, claiming they are treated "not as citizens, but as enemies."
In an interview with Al-Monitor, the leader of the Ta’al party criticized far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for failing to address the record surge of organized crime in Arab communities, which has seen 46 people killed so far this year. Arab citizens currently make up approximately 21% of Israel’s population.
Tibi, a veteran politician with 26 years in the Knesset, has political roots that trace back to his medical studies at Hebrew University. Notably, in 1984 he met with Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat in Tunisia, defying a then-active Israeli legal prohibition.
Tibi founded Ta’al in 1995 as a secular party advocating for the Palestinian cause, a two-state solution and the interests of Arab Israelis. Ta’al currently holds two seats in the Knesset, while Arab parties hold 10 out of 120 seats. Last month, four Arab parties joined forces ahead of elections this October in a bid to prevent the return of a Netanyahu government.
