The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), an independent research center published a
report in the wake of the Tamra attack, describing how “Arab communities remain unaddressed” almost two years since the outbreak of war. The report points to the “significant gaps in protection” between Arab and Jewish communities.
Civil defense capabilities are built into the infrastructure of Israel.
Israeli law requires all homes, residential buildings, and industrial building built since the early 1990s to have bomb shelters. These shelters prove crucial to protect Israelis when warning sirens go off – providing the public with safe and fortified locations to hide from incoming rockets.
However, many Palestinian towns in the country’s north “lack public shelters, protected areas, and shelter facilities,” according to a statement from the
Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
“The urgency in providing such a response gains secondary validity in light of the fact that the main disparity in the field of defense in the northern district is within Arab towns,” the statement continued.
Local resident Shama conceded that there is neglect in Tamra and said he suspects it’s because of racism.