The US embassy in Jerusalem has issued an unusual warning to Americans to exercise caution over a spate of violent crime, especially in Tel Aviv.
US citizens are encouraged to “stay alert, especially in commercial areas during evening and night hours”.
It follows a sharp rise in violent crime during the current term of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. The problem is starkest among Israel’s Palestinian population, but there have long been warnings the phenomenon could soon spread into Jewish society. Israel is home to about 280,000 US citizens, the Association of American Resident Overseas says.
A feud between two prominent crime families, one Jewish and the other Arab, has escalated, leading to shootings and grenade attacks. The crime scenes include homes and branches of a sushi chain whose owner reportedly switched sides in the gang war. Police said some of the attackers used equipment stolen from the Israeli military.
Israel’s Palestinian community suffered nearly one murder a day during the first two months of the year, according to the Jewish People Policy Institute. The murder rate among Arabs in the first half of the year is 12 per cent higher than in 2025. Last year, 252 Palestinians were murdered in Israel, the most in any year since records began.
Israeli police solved only about 15 per cent of cases involving murdered Palestinians in 2025, compared to 65 per cent involving Jews. The force is currently under the control of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a convicted criminal with a long history of racism against Arabs.
Palestinian citizens make up about 20 per cent of Israel’s population.
Last week, the government approved a plan for the Shin Bet, Israel’s main internal security agency, to join the fight against crime. Mr Netanyahu called the plan “dramatic news”, while Mr Ben-Gvir said it was “tremendous news for Israeli citizens”.
The plan was criticised by human rights groups, in part because it entails diverting tens of millions of dollars of funding from community projects to law enforcement.
