Man killed as rioters clash with police in Arab-Israeli town

A 20-year-old man from the Arab town of Kafr Qasim in central Israel was killed and several other people were wounded early on Tuesday during a violent clash with security forces outside the town's police station.

The clashes began after police outside the station stopped a town resident for a routine license and registration check, and found that the man was wanted for questioning. When the officers tried to detain him, he resisted violently and assaulted them. About 50 rioters quickly appeared and momentarily succeeded in freeing him. The police managed to seize the suspect again as the crowed barraged them with stones. The number of protesters quickly grew into the hundreds, and throngs of rioters began surrounding the police station, located inside Kafr Qasim's city hall, and tried to break into the building.

Three police cars were set on fire, several vehicles were stoned, and at least two police officers sustained minor injuries before the riot was under control. One additional suspect was arrested.

Initial investigations revealed that while several police officers fired their weapons in the air, a civilian security guard at the police station fired at the rioters, critically wounding Ahmed Taha, 20. Taha was rushed to Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikva, where he died of his wounds.

Tensions between Kafr Qasim residents and the police have been mounting recently over a string of unresolved murders that have rattled the town, most recently last week, when two Kafr Qasim residents, Qassem Muhammad Amer, 35, and Fadi Sarsour, 36, were shot dead after exiting a mosque.

The double murder was the sixth killing in just a few months, and the city's municipality declared a general school strike in protest.

"The police do not operate in our sector and have abandoned us. Arab blood is different than Jewish blood. The police have failed. The time has come to protect us and bring peace and quiet to the area, otherwise there will be no room for this police station here," one of the protesters said.

The Israel Police said in a statement that throughout the incident, the local police command maintained continuous dialogue with the town's leadership to defuse the situation.

The statement said the police were treating the riots "with utmost severity" and that the instigators would be brought to justice.

During the night, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh held a special situation assessment, after which he met with Arab lawmakers and Kafr Qasim Mayor Adel Badir in an effort to foster dialogue.

Taha's father accused the security guard of murdering his son "in cold blood," saying, "I'm furious. My son didn't deserve to die like that. He was just starting his life. The police are very quick to pull the trigger."

Badir also accused the police of murdering Taha, saying, "The guard was not in any danger. Young people were protesting outside the police station. The guard came out and just opened fire. How could the guard think he was in danger when the police didn't feel they were in danger-"

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss the riot.

The committee issued a statement condemning the police, and saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Alsheikh shoulder the responsibility for Taha's death.

The committee called for a general strike on Wednesday to protest the events.

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