(haipo) On Thursday, July 2, 2026, two teenagers were murdered in the Ein Hayam neighborhood of Haifa and another was seriously injured. One of the murdered was William Faisal, who was critically injured when a passing vehicle fired shots at a group of young men standing near a kiosk on Hagana Boulevard and died of his wounds in the hospital a few days later. 18-year-old Jonathan Khoury was also murdered in the incident and another young man was seriously injured.
The family of Wiam, who was involved in an incident with no connection to the criminal world, donated his organs and saved the lives of seven people, including two children. The murder, which was apparently criminal in nature within the framework of criminal family disputes, once again highlights the sense of loss of control over violence in Arab society and the growing fear among Haifa residents.
The moment everything changed: “He just swapped friends for an hour”
Wiam's uncle, Attorney Sami Faisal, speaks in a broken voice about his nephew who was at the beginning of his life, a teenager with no criminal record, a kind-hearted boy, not connected to any crime family. According to him, William worked at the kiosk for only a week three months ago, and had not been part of the business since. On the day of the incident, a friend who worked at the kiosk asked him to replace him for an hour. After finishing his short shift, he went outside and stood with a group of young men near the kiosk. Towards midnight, a car arrived, one of the passengers opened fire on them, and three young men were injured. William was critically injured and died of his wounds two days later.
A kind-hearted boy, a life cruelly cut short
Sami Faisal describes Wiam as a guy who always helped others. He says that two weeks before the murder, on his way to a wedding, he stopped to help an elderly woman carry heavy baskets to the fourth floor, even though he didn’t know her at all. “Everyone who knew Wiam knew what a good guy he was,” says the uncle. “He had barely started his life and it was already over.” The family, broken by the loss, says they debated for only fifteen minutes before deciding to donate his organs. At the hospital, they were told that seven people had been saved thanks to him, including two children.
Tough questions for the police: “Why is the decryption rate so low?”
Sami Faisal, a criminal lawyer, criticizes the state of crime in Arab society and the low rate of resolution. According to him, the resolution rate in the Arab sector is about 10%, compared to about 90% in the Jewish sector. “People want to live with dignity,” he says. “I am in favor of bringing in the Shin Bet or any other agency, the main thing is that there be resolution.” He notes that during periods when significant budgets were allocated to the fight against crime, there was a decrease in violence, and that there are ways to reach the truth if there is a real desire.
Parental responsibility: “How do 18-year-old boys drive million-shekel cars?”
Faisal emphasizes that alongside the state’s responsibility, there is also parental responsibility. “I see 18- or 19-year-olds with million-shekel cars,” he says. “Why don’t the parents check where it came from? If it’s from work, great. But if not, the parents need to take responsibility.” He says that some of the violence stems from a lack of family supervision and ignoring clear warning signs.
Broken family: “We are waiting for the body from Abu Kabir”
The family is still waiting for the body to be released from the Abu Kabir Institute. “My mother can’t accept this,” the uncle says. “It’s very difficult for our whole family.” The funeral is set for 18:00 PM in the Ein Hayam neighborhood.
Crime in Arab society: A trend that continues to worsen
The years 2025–2026 continue the trend of a sharp increase in violence in Arab society. Dozens of murders a year, many of them against the backdrop of conflicts between criminal families, collection of protection fees and organized criminal activity. Despite the establishment of dedicated units and increased enforcement, the resolution rate remains low. Shooting incidents sometimes occur in broad daylight and near businesses, which deepens the sense of insecurity and exacerbates the crisis in Arab society.
Crime in Haifa: Residents report deterioration in personal safety
Haifa has recently seen an increase in shootings, arson attacks and assaults, mainly in the southern neighborhoods of Ein Hayam, Bat Galim, Kiryat Eliezer and parts of Hadar. Residents report that the violence has “trickled” from nearby communities into the city, and that Haifa, which was previously considered relatively safe, has become less stable in terms of personal security. The latest murder is seen as a worrying sign that organized crime is also rising within the city itself.
Haifa Municipality Activity: Increasing Enforcement and Cooperation with the Police
Following the increase in violent incidents, the Haifa Municipality has been increasing cooperation with the police in recent months and promoting enforcement actions in the public space. The municipality is operating increased supervision teams in the southern neighborhoods, assisting in the installation of security cameras in sensitive areas, and promoting educational programs to prevent violence in schools and community centers. In addition, the municipality is working with business owners to reduce hotspots of criminal activity, and emphasizes that it will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to restore a sense of security to residents. The municipality notes that dealing with crime requires a combined effort by all parties, the police, local authorities, the education system, and the community itself.
Police response: Closing businesses by administrative order
Following the incident, three businesses on Ha'atzmaut Street were closed by administrative orders. Carmel Region Commander, Chief of Police Boaz Samuka, ordered an administrative procedure after it was found that the continued operation of the businesses could endanger public safety. The business owners were summoned for a hearing, at the end of which it was decided to close them for seven days. The police said that they will continue to act decisively against criminal elements, including closing businesses that endanger the public.
Similar cases in other cities: violence spreading throughout the country
The incident in Haifa joins a series of shootings and murders in other cities in Israel. In recent years, Lod, Ramle, Jaffa, Nazareth and Shefaram have recorded similar incidents in which young people were shot due to conflicts between criminal families, even though they were not involved in crime. In many cities, shootings at businesses, injuries to passersby and a general deterioration in the sense of security have been reported. The cases show that violence is not limited to certain localities, but is spreading to large, central cities, and poses a significant challenge to the police and local authorities.
Public struggles: Demand for real action from the state
As violence increases, public struggles are expanding to demand real action from the state. Bereaved families, civil society organizations, and social activists are holding demonstrations, rallies, and community initiatives calling for increased enforcement, investment in education, addressing the roots of crime, and improving the resolution rate. Many argue that the state is not doing enough to protect citizens in Arab society, and that a comprehensive national plan is needed to address violence from the ground up. The public struggles emphasize that the public is not willing to accept a reality in which innocent young people are murdered on the street for no reason.
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That they will not look for the guilty. The blame lies solely with Swedish society. They want higher decoding rates but refuse to cooperate with the police. Even in their native language, the word police does not exist. The vehicles costing millions of shekels are financed by criminal money because they are looking for easy and quick money, and there is a price for that. They also destroyed our city and are complaining.
In my opinion, the time has come to divide not only Jerusalem but also Haifa and create a barrier and separation, by agreement and dialogue, between the Arab neighborhoods and the Jewish neighborhoods. We saw what a disaster was averted for the children in Achi Eilat about two weeks ago.
At the same time, not only should the police and the Shin Bet be strengthened, as has been rightly argued here, but the legislature and the House of Representatives should wake up to their senses and establish minimum punishment laws of decades in prison for convicted criminals, and not allow every judge the freedom and independence to set sometimes ridiculous sentences, or to release them for all sorts of different and strange reasons, and there is no deterrence.
You are rude, you live in segregation, crime comes from everywhere, ethnicity and religion.
The entire area is being filmed, if the police want to, they can find the culprits.
No, Mrs. Zipporah, no separation. Their place is in their villages. They have no business in the cities of Israel. All those Swedes who do not serve or contribute to the country, but here there are greedy, greedy apartment owners who rent or sell to the highest bidder.