Gunfire pierces the air as Ra’am’s Segalovitz speaks to locals in Rahat

Gunfire was heard on Sunday evening in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat as the Ra’am party’s Jewish candidate Yoav Segalovitz spoke to locals, apparently part of a conflict between rival gangs. In footage of his talk, Segalovitz was mid-sentence when gunfire was heard nearby, causing him to look in the direction of the noise, but then continue speaking. “What you asked before, how can you deal with that?” Segalovitz, a former top police officer who has campaigned on restoring security to the Arab public amid soaring violent crime, later told those present, gesturing toward where he heard the gunfire. “It’s something that cannot be allowed in a proper country. It cannot be allowed, full stop. “Will change happen in one day? I’m already telling you, no. Even if tomorrow I am the internal security minister, you won’t hear me make any declarations. But the state will work differently, and the government will work differently,” he said. In a statement afterward, Segalovitz said, “The inconceivable thing is that here in the city, this has almost become routine. Just yesterday, bursts of gunfire were heard continuously for eight hours. Something like this must not become routine. This is a serious failure by the government, which has abandoned citizens’ personal security.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms The city is a hotspot for the rampant crime crisis plaguing the country’s Arab community. Residents of nearby Negev communities have also complained of hearing bursts of gunfire and expressing fear that authorities have lost control over the area. שימו לב לזה, הערב ברהט: ירי בלתי פוסק במהלך חוג בית שקיים יואב סגלוביץ (רע״מ) בעיר. סגלוביץ שהיה פרוייקטור המגזר הערבי בממשלת בנט, המשיך לדבר תוך כדי הירי pic.twitter.com/ogaW51PiK0 — almog boker (@bokeralmog) October 4, 2026 Advertisement A report published earlier this year by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warned that effective governance has broken down in the Negev, especially in Bedouin towns, as police stations lack the necessary manpower to fight crime. Segalovitz is the founder and commander of Israel’s Lahav 433 elite police unit responsible for investigating high-level government corruption and organized crime. He served as deputy public security minister in the 2021–2022 Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government, tasked with leading the crackdown on crime in the Arab community. His efforts helped bring about a modest but measurable decline in homicides in 2021, reversing a trend that had been moving steadily upwards since 2014. But under current National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right politician who scrapped Segalovitz’s program, killings in Arab communities have surged to record levels. In August, Segalovitz announced he was joining Mansour Abbas’ Islamist Ra’am party, in an unprecedented move for a Jewish politician. AFP contributed to this report. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 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Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Flydubai captain says copilot asked to pray, then struck him from behind; describes exactly how he opened cockpit door 2 Flydubai terrorist said to tell investigators he intended to crash plane into Ben Gurion Airport 3 Ireland abruptly ends presser as Israelis grill coach on flydubai attack, alleged monkey taunts 4 Flydubai terrorist named as Hamam al-Hammami; was banned from flying by Oman for suspected extremism 5 Regev passes buck on probing pilots, as Israel said ‘racing’ to ID more potential threats 6 90 years on, why are British Jews being erased from the heroic Battle of Cable Street? 7 Report: Ex-IDF chief says he suggested dismissing refusing reservists, but Netanyahu said no 8 UK’s Green Party declares ‘Zionism is racism,’ calls for Palestine to replace Israel read more: Israel Inside Yoav Segalovitz Ra'am party (United Arab List) Rahat violent crime in Israel If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. 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