The Mossawa Center stated that the shooting targeting Arraba Mayor Dr. Ahmad Nassar and Dr. Anwar Yassin, Secretary of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality in the city, reflects what it described as a failure by the Israeli Police and the Ministry of the Interior to provide adequate protection and support to Arab local authority leaders facing organized crime.

In a statement issued following the incident, the center said that Arab municipal leaders are increasingly left to confront criminal networks with limited institutional backing and insufficient enforcement measures.

The Mossawa Center also referenced research conducted by Dr. Eilat Maoz of the University of Haifa examining the experience of Dr. Ahmad Nassar, who was elected mayor of Arraba in 2024. The study focuses on his efforts to address the influence of a criminal network that had reportedly gained control over municipal tenders in several northern localities.

According to the research, Arab local authorities often face pressure from criminal groups demanding excessive payments for services that provide limited value. When Mayor Nassar attempted to publish a new public tender aimed at reducing costs and improving services for residents, he reportedly encountered threats and intimidation, alongside what the study describes as a lack of sufficient support from government ministries and law enforcement bodies.

The research presents the case of Arraba as an example of a broader structural challenge that involves the intersection of organized crime, the outsourcing of public services, weak law enforcement in Arab communities, and political disparities.

It further indicates that local authority leaders who attempt to act in the public interest or implement reforms frequently encounter various forms of pressure and obstruction.

The Mossawa Center stressed that addressing organized crime and corruption requires comprehensive and effective policy responses. It also noted that confronting these challenges is closely linked to broader efforts aimed at achieving political, social, and economic equality between Jewish and Arab citizens in the country.