A man was shot dead Sunday morning on a northern highway, the latest killing in a violent crime epidemic rocking Israel’s Arab community.
The victim, later identified as Ali Abu Saleh, was critically wounded while driving between his hometown of Sakhnin and Arraba. He was brought by paramedics to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police announced an investigation into the shooting and said officers were dispatched to the scene to search for suspects.
Saleh, 30, was on parole after a recent prison stint. He had served time for weapons offenses and kidnapping with intent to murder, according to the Ynet news site.
According to the Abraham Initiatives anti-violence advocacy group, 157 members of Israel’s Arab community have been killed since the start of the year, mostly in shootings. During the same time frame last year, 71 were killed.
Last week saw several fatal shootings, including a quadruple homicide in the northern town of Abu Snan and the murder of Tira’s deputy mayor.
The killings are part of a violent crime wave that has engulfed the Arab community in recent years. Many community leaders blame the police, whom they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence. They also point to decades of neglect and discrimination by government offices as the root cause of the problem.
