Israeli Police Chief Defends Crime Fight Amid Deadly Violence Surge

During one of the bloodiest days in a recent wave of violence in Israel, with five people murdered within less than 24 hours across the country, Israel Police Commissioner Major General Danni Levi made several unusual remarks in an emergency meeting with district commanders. According to ynet, Levi stated that "murder is brutal, but it is not everything," claimed that the police's crime-fighting results over the past five years are the best ever, and asserted that "confiscating weapons does not lead to a decrease in shooting and murder incidents." The meeting took place amid escalating violence, hours after Levi announced a special crime operation set to continue until Saturday. Despite the operation, the first day ended with a series of deadly events.

Levi sought to explain the complexity of combating crime, telling commanders, "Today's crime is not the crime of the past." He also criticized media coverage of murders, saying that for many years murders in the Arab community did not attract attention, but now they headline news broadcasts, sometimes driven by agendas. However, official data contradicts his claim: in 2021, the number of Arab victims of murder peaked at 126, slightly decreased the following year, but then doubled during the current government to a record 255 last year. Current trends suggest this year's number will be even higher.

Following the surge in violence in the Arab sector, police issued a directive to intensify enforcement, including checkpoints and cracking down on offenses such as driving under the influence and unlicensed driving. Yet, this operation joined several others announced in recent months, all while deadly violence continued unabated.

In interviews, senior police officials acknowledged the crisis. Tel Aviv District Commander Major General Haim Sergrof called the situation a "national emergency" but blamed the judiciary for hampering police efforts, questioning why judges cannot be replaced for poor decisions as police commanders can. Central District Commander Major General Amir Cohen emphasized ongoing efforts to prevent serious incidents, promising full commitment despite challenges. Judea and Samaria District Commander Major General Moshe Pinchi highlighted the police's around-the-clock work and called for broader involvement from courts and leadership to address the violence.

Meanwhile, the police leadership and dozens of station commanders spent the past two days at a pre-planned team-building event at a police resort near Netanya, which included entertainment and leisure time. A senior police source criticized this timing, saying that declaring a national emergency is incompatible with top officials attending such events while deadly violence continues on the streets.

The latest murder occurred early morning in the town of Reineh, where a man in his 30s was shot dead. Earlier, 18-year-old Jonathan Houri was shot outside a convenience store in Haifa, with two others critically injured. Other recent murders include Kamal Abu Kalib in Basmat Tivon, Ali Swaid in Shfaram, and Rabbi Amos Gueta in Netanya, the latter allegedly killed by a mentally unstable student.