Umm al-Fahm is the largest city located in what is referred to as the “Triangle” – a concentration of predominantly Muslim Arab towns and villages in the North-East part of Israel. Known as more traditional and conservative than other Arab communities in the North, it is also a social and cultural center for Arab citizens of Israel despite social and economic difficulties. Dr. Samir Mahamid is one of a new generation of Arab mayors in Israel, seeking to bring practical solutions and circumvent political roadblocks in the way of improving the local quality of life.

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On Thursday, October 21st, the city staged a general strike to protest the ongoing violence in Arab communities, after two of the city's residents were murdered within 24 hours. Since the beginning of 2021, 108 Arab citizens of Israel - men, women, and children - have been murdered. Eight people were killed this year in Umm al-Fahm alone, and every one of these murders remains unsolved by police. “It's conflicts within families that were known for four to five-six years. We should have done more to solve those problems,” Dr. Samir Mahamid, the mayor, said on this IATF Short interview.

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Dr. Mahamid was interviewed by IATF Executive Director, Liron Shoham, about violent crime in the city and his vision for addressing the urgent needs of its residents.

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This interview was translated to English and edited for length and clarity.

Editing and Translation: Alisa Shodiyev Kaff

Voice over: Martin Kaff

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Transcript: https://www.iataskforce.org/sites/default/files/resource/resource-2072.pdf