"National Emergency" • Police Commissioner warns: Crime is rampant and our hands are tied

(haipo) Against the backdrop of the wave of murders and rising violence across the country, and especially in Arab society, the Commissioner of Police, Chief of Staff Danny Levy, opened this morning (Thursday, 12/2/26) the senior command staff's assessment of the situation with an unusual and forceful statement: "We are in a state of national emergency."

He said that the police alone are unable to deal with the phenomenon and called for the comprehensive mobilization of all government ministries, the legal system and even the IDF. "In my opening remarks, I repeat what we have already said and shouted from every possible platform, we are in a state of national emergency," said Levy. "The war on criminal organizations requires a root cause treatment by all government ministries: education, welfare, economy, law and full integration of local leadership. Everyone must get involved."

45 murdered since the beginning of the year

During the night and morning (Thursday, 12/2/26), five people were murdered in five different locations across the country: Rahat, Yarka, Fordyce, Lod and Segev Shalom. All cases occurred on a criminal basis and in most of the locations, no arrests have yet been reported. Since the beginning of the year, 45 murders have been recorded, a significant increase compared to 31 victims in the same period last year. These are lives that were cut short, families that were hurt to the core, not just numbers or statistics.

Behind every victim stands a whole life story, parents who lost children, children who became orphans, brothers and sisters who were bereaved, dreams that were cut short, and a family that breaks under the heavy weight of loss. Every such death is a priceless trauma and its impact affects not only the immediate circle, but the entire community.

"Unbearable situation"

The Commissioner referred to the alarming murder figures recorded since the beginning of the year and emphasized the sharp increase in the number of victims in Arab society. According to him, a significant portion of those murdered are innocent citizens caught up in conflicts between criminals, families, and criminal organizations. "This is an intolerable situation that must end," he said, clarifying that "the absolute and overwhelming majority in Arab society is a normative public that suffers from crime," while calling on local leadership and religious figures to condemn the violence and join the struggle.

At the same time, he sharply criticized the legal system and the prosecution, demanding immediate harsher punishment, faster filing of indictments and rapid handling of administrative restraining orders, along with promoting legislation that would return the police to technological tools. "We have no ability to stop and prevent when our hands are tied, our ears are blocked and our eyes are covered," he warned.

"That's not enough"

Levy emphasized that the police are operating at full strength: making arrests, seizing weapons, thwarting assassination attempts and damaging the economic infrastructure of criminal organizations, but he frankly admitted that efforts alone are not enough. "We are doing everything, but it is not enough," he said, calling for a combined national effort: "This is the time to gird our loins and join arms to win the fight."

Meanwhile, he instructed the district commanders to deepen cooperation with the heads of authorities and social leaders in Arab society, with the aim of stopping the "continuous bleeding," as he defined it. The police hope that the extraordinary call will lead to swift government steps before the reality on the ground worsens even further.

It is important to note that Arab citizens, along with the support of quite a few Jewish citizens, have begun protest measures and disruptions in order to raise the alarm and express anger at the wave of violence and bloodshed. The protesters seek to draw immediate attention and put pressure on the authorized authorities, in the hope of stopping the bloodshed on the streets of Arab society and preventing further cases of tragedy.

The latest protest was held in Haifa with the participation of about 350 demonstrators. This is a continuation of a broad wave of protests, which included the huge demonstration in Tel Aviv and Sakhnin, alongside various strikes and a heated debate in the Knesset Security Committee. The demonstrators seek to raise public and political awareness of the rising violence and to pressure government officials to take immediate steps to stop it.