JERUSALEM: Israeli police on Saturday were probing four shooting deaths within 24 hours in Arab Israeli towns, following elections in which Arab candidates said violent crime was a top campaign issue.

Police said that at around midnight in the Bedouin town of Basmat Tabun, northwest of Nazareth, two residents were shot dead and a third badly wounded in what was believed to be part of a dispute between local families.

“Police are investigating the circumstances,” a police statement said without giving details.

Israel’s Arab parties, running under a Joint List alliance, emerged from Tuesday’s general election as an important force.

Provisional official results gave them 13 seats — the third-largest in Israel’s 120 member parliament, ahead of final results to be announced on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2019