Israel promoted an Arab police officer to the rank of deputy commissioner on Wednesday, making him the highest-ranking Muslim ever to serve in the police force. The move comes at a time when authorities are battling a wave of attacks by Palestinians that has frayed relations between Jews and Arabs. Deputy Commissioner Gamal Hakroosh, 59, will oversee a new department established to improve policing in the Arab sector, where residents are deeply suspicious of Israeli police and view them with hostility and fear. "I was waiting for this moment for a long time. Finally there is a leadership in Israel that strives to achieve equality in service provision. I call on Arab citizens [of Israel] to join the police and become a part of us," Hakroosh said at a ceremony in Tel Aviv on Wednesday attended by Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, police chief Roni Alsheikh, Arab village leaders and Israel Police top brass. A lack of effective policing in Arab communities, where crime is rampant and often left unchecked by police, has fueled tensions further. Arabs often accuse the police of being indifferent to Arab crime as long as the Jewish population is not affected. With Hakroosh's promotion, and this week's cabinet approval of a plan to step up law enforcement in Arab areas, Israel is hoping to change that perception. "Until now, we did not grant the Arab sector equal law enforcement services. In everything related to the police, we did not act with due equality," Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan conceded at the ceremony. Israel plans to add police stations and hundreds of officers to serve Arab communities over the next five years in an effort to tackle the crime in the community. The chief concerns are illegal possession of arms, illegal construction and road thuggery. It has also recently announced a landmark billion-dollar budget intended to improve the living conditions of the Arab community. Hakroosh hails from Kafr Kanna, an Arab town in northern Israel that experienced violent demonstrations in late 2014 after a local man was shot and killed by police. Hakroosh joined the police force in 1978 and has served as station chief in a number of cities. As deputy commissioner, one rank below the national police chief, he is now the highest-ranking Arab in the force. At least one Druze officer has held the same rank, but Arab Muslims generally are less integrated into Israel's security forces and those who do serve are sometimes viewed as traitors. Hakroosh beamed as he received his rank in a packed auditorium at Tel Aviv's police headquarters. In the crowd, Arab village leaders, some wearing traditional Arab headdresses, dotted a sea of blue police uniforms. He embraced Erdan and Alsheikh as the audience burst into applause. "The police force's job is to serve the people, and among the people is the Arab citizen, the Arab-Israeli citizen, and he deserves service," Hakroosh told The Associated Press. "He deserves to have the police stand beside him."
Amid violence, Israel Police appoints first Muslim deputy commissioner
Gamal Hakroosh becomes highest-ranking Muslim to serve in Israeli police force • He will oversee new department aimed at improving police work in Arab sector • "Finally there is a leadership in Israel that strives to achieve equality," says Hakroosh.
Load more...