Homicides in Arab Society Continue to Climb

Updated data on homicide rates in the Arab society up to May 2024 continue to paint a worrisome picture.

In a prior piece of research, Homicide Rates in Israel, published in February 2024, we analyzed the number of violent deaths in Israel (excluding terrorism-related incidents) across Israeli subpopulations and across countries. Our analysis showed that homicides in Israel’s Arab population had reached unprecedented levels. New data indicate that the number of homicides in this population has climbed even further, and that the gap in the homicide rate between Jews and Arabs continues to widen.

In May, the number of murders in the Arab population reached an all-time high

The overall homicide rate increased by a factor of 2.8 between 2022 and 2024. In May 2024 alone, there were 32 murders in the Arab population.

The gaps between Jews and Arabs in exposure to homicide risk continue to widen

Until 2015, the ratio of homicide rates of Israeli Arabs relative to Israeli Jews was around 4:1.  Among Jews, rates declined until 2022, continuing a 60% decline that began in 2011. In contrast, among Arabs, both the number of homicides and the homicide rate have been steadily increasing since 2016. As a result, by 2024, the ratio of homicide rates of Israeli Arabs to Israeli Jews reached 14:1.

“The enormous increase in the number of homicides in the Arab community since 2018 is very troubling,” says Nir Kaidar, Executive Director of the Taub Center. He adds, “The new data show that not only has the upward trend not been halted, but it continues in full force, with new records being set every month. It is important to reiterate that there are steps that can be taken to try and change this trend, such as in 2022 when there was a significant decrease in the homicide rate, partly due to changes in the policy for addressing violence in the Arab society that year.”