Man shot dead in central Israel town amid crime wave plaguing Arab community |
A man was shot and killed in his car Monday morning in central Israel as the homicide rate in Arab society continues to climb.
Paramedics responding to the scene in the town of Tira found the victim in his vehicle with gunshot wounds and showing no signs of life, the Magen David Adom emergency service said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Abraham Initiatives monitor named the victim as Majadi Nasser, a man in his 30s.
Police said in a statement that the killing may have been a revenge attack related to an ongoing feud. No arrests were announced, but police said they were searching for suspects.
The victim, who worked in landscaping, had been on his way to work when he was ambushed, according to Arabic-language Nas Radio. The report claimed that the gunmen had been lying in wait for him outside his house, then shot him at close range once he got into his car.
There have been 68 Arab homicide victims since the start of 2026 — a rate of nearly one per day and about 26 more killings than there were during the same period last year, according to the Abraham Initiatives, an organization that tracks violence in the Arab community.
The high death toll follows the minority’s bloodiest year to date, which saw 252 violent killings over the course of 2025.
This is the eighth homicide to occur since the beginning of the Iran war on February 28.
On Sunday, a Palestinian from Kafr Aqab in East Jerusalem was shot and killed in Nazareth.
Many in Israel accuse National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of failing to address crime in Arab society and allowing it to fester, claiming the far-right politician’s oversight of police has led to worsening neglect of Arab towns by law enforcement.
Under his guidance, critics charge, police have done little to deal with the stranglehold organized crime has put on Arab towns, instead prioritizing fighting terrorism or lawlessness that spills into Jewish areas. Community members say gangland activity has driven an influx of gun violence, worsening existing blood feuds between families.
The violence has cast a pall across the community, with innocent passersby regularly caught in the middle of deadly shootings. In many Arab towns, shop owners now close by sundown and parents say they are afraid to let their children leave the house.
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;
Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and
Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
1 IDF says no shortage of interceptors, after report claimed stockpile ‘critically low’
2 IDF planning 3 more weeks of operations to systematically degrade Iran’s defense industry
3 ‘Learn your lesson’: Inscribed 2,100-year-old sling bullet found in the Galilee
4 Cornell and Technion scientists adapt ancient clay air conditioning tech for sustainable cooling
5 Iran fires 7 more missile salvos at Israel, attacks Gulf; IDF launches ‘extensive’ strikes
6 Trump said briefed on US intel showing Ali Khamenei thought his son ‘not very bright,’ unfit to lead
7 In video, Netanyahu mocks conspiracy theories about his death
8 AnalysisSmall, divided and wary, Kurdish rebels won’t be the ones bringing down Iran’s regime