Israel Experiences Record Murder Rates in Palestinian Towns

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Israel has experienced a significant increase in violence against its Palestinian citizens, resulting in 300 murders in 2025, with 252 of those victims being Palestinian. This year marked the deadliest on record for such incidents among Palestinian citizens, who comprise approximately 21% of Israel’s population.

In contrast, international media coverage has focused primarily on the genocide and displacement in Gaza, as well as ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. However, a recent study by Neve Gordon, Professor of International Law at Queen Mary University of London, highlights the connection between these events.

Gordon notes that Israel has been tolerating violence against Palestinian citizens to push them out, while also weaponizing anti-Semitism to create fear among Jews worldwide. This phenomenon is linked to demographic engineering, a concept central to the Zionist project.

Demographic engineering refers to the manipulation of population demographics to achieve specific goals. In 1948, approximately 750,000 Palestinians were displaced during the war, and many cities and villages were depopulated. The Law of Return, passed in 1950, granted Jewish immigrants from around the world the right to enter Israel, while withholding similar rights from Palestinians.

Over the past two years, Israeli politicians have characterized the occupation of territories as completing a job left undone in 1948. Meanwhile, within Israel, a different demographic strategy is unfolding, with record levels of murders among Palestinian citizens. The police have solved only 15% of these incidents, and criminals are collecting “protection fees” from businesses, extracting an estimated two billion shekels ($650m) annually.

In January 2026, Palestinians launched a protest against the ongoing violence, highlighting the need for attention to this issue.

Source: Al Jazeera