Neglect of Palestinians in Israel fuels killing spree

The Palestinian community in Israel has fallen victim to a murder rate two times higher than Jewish areas.

The deadly crime wave engulfing the Palestinian community in Israel must be urgently addressed after years of being ignored by Israeli authorities, analysts say.

Until now, the Israeli government has neglected the Palestinian sector and, for example, barely set up police stations in the predominantly Palestinian villages and towns. Financial bottlenecks in the police force were often cited as an excuse. Illegal weapons, gangs and an extremely high crime rate are the results.

The violence is an extremely severe problem, Ian Lustick, professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, told Al Jazeera.