Israeli Arab appointed to top police job
Israeli police have appointed its first Muslim Arab deputy commissioner. He will head efforts to boost policing in Arab communities of Israel. Jamal Hakrush, currently deputy head of the Coastal District and a Muslim from the Arab town of Kafr Kana North of Nazareth, formerly served as deputy head of traffic police. He will now head a special police branch that deals with crime in Israel’s Arab sector.
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Israel appoints Arab police chief
Israeli reactions
The appointment comes at a time of growing tensions between the Israeli government and Palestinians, with the Israeli government just announcing another two hundred settlements in the occupied territories. But first reactions to Hakrush’ appointment are positive.
“This is a process which is encouraged by the Israeli government, trying to absorb Israeli Arab citizens and Muslims into the Israeli system,” says Efraim Kam, director of a think tank who wants only to be quoted as a private citizen.
“Rightfully so because they have quite some policemen coming from among the Arab citizens, mostly Muslims.”
“And I think eventually everybody should be happy, for sure the Arabs, but also the Israelis. And it really helps the Israeli government to absorb the Arabs citizens into Israeli society. The general attitude towards this change is very positive, from the Israelis and from the Arabs as well,” he says.
Currently, 1.6 million Arabs are living in Israel, some 20 percent of the total population. Earlier this year, the Jerusalem Post reported that a new police branch that focuses on the Arab sector was announced. Plans include the creation of ten new police stations in Arab communities and the recruitment of some 1300 police from the sector over the next five years.
Israeli Arab reactions
But not all Israeli Arabs are happy as happy about Mr. Hakrush’ appointment as Mr. Kam said they should be. “The question is not this personal appointment,” says Youssef Jabarin, a Knesset member for the Joint List, a coalition of Arab parties in the Israeli parliament.
“There is an historic ongoing tension between the Israeli police and the Arab community. And our community has suffered from a lot of internal violence and crime in our towns and villages. If the idea of this appointment is to reduce this internal crime, then it is welcome.”
“But there is a tendency within in the Israeli police to treat the Arab citizens of Israel as part of the enemy. And I am afraid that if Hakroush will lead the effort to, for example, demolishing of houses in the Arab villages and towns, and of confrontation with the Arab citizens, then it will only increase tension and confrontation,” he says.
Jabareen stops short of saying that many Arabs in Israel see joining the Israeli police force as treason, but admits he is in fact not happy about an Arab becoming Israel’s second highest cop.
“As leaders of the Arab community we are against serving in the Israeli police and we are against that because Israeli police has made the bad rule of basically uprooting the community,” he says.
“The question is, will this appointment lead to real change in the policy of the police and generally the government and I am afraid Hakroush will become part of this oppressive system against the Arab community. But we have to wait and see his behavior in the near future,” he says.
Generally, the expectation is that not much will change. “Unlike the Palestinians on the West Bank, this policeman is an Israeli citizen. I think it is a very positive step, but I don't think it is going to lower any tensions between Jews and Arabs in Israel,” says Yariv Oppenheimer, director of Peace Now.
“He is an Israeli citizen and he should have the same opportunities as any other Israeli. So I don' think it is a big event, and I don't think it is going to affect the atmosphere,” he says.
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