By Said Amouri
JERUSALEM (AA) – Jailed Palestinian resistance icon Raed Salah has accused Tel Aviv of complicity in crimes committed against the Arab community in Israel.
In a documentary aired late Sunday by the Doha-based Al Jazeera television, Salah said the Israeli intelligence service was complicit in organized crimes against Arab Israelis.
“[The Israeli] army is the main source of weapons to gangs in Israel,” the documentary said, citing a former official in Israel’s internal security service.
Al-Jazeera cited what it said leaked documents that prove senior Islamic Movement leader Suleiman Ighbariyah was under Israeli surveillance before an attempt on his life.
On Jan. 7, Ighbariyah, a former mayor of the Arab-majority town of Umm al-Fahm, was seriously injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him.
Around 1.6 million Palestinians live inside Israel, making up 22% of the country’s population amid repeated complaints of discrimination against their community.
The Arab community in Israel has staged continuous demonstrations denouncing the spread of organized crime and the failure of the police to confront crime and collect weapons.
At least 27 Arabs have been killed in gang attacks since the start of this year, according to Israeli media.
Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara
