As missile barrages continue to strike multiple cities across Israel, concerns are mounting over the stark disparities in civil defense infrastructure, particularly in Arab towns and working-class neighborhoods. The Communist Party of Israel, represented by Hadash leader Ayman Odeh, has publicly condemned the government for what he describes as systemic neglect and inequality in protecting its citizens.
Following a recent visit to the city of Tamra, Odeh expressed deep frustration on social media, stating, “The state, unfortunately, still distinguishes between blood and blood.” Despite Tamra’s status as a city, it remains without any public bomb shelters — a fate shared by an estimated 60 percent of local authorities, many of which are Arab-majority communities.
This shortfall in protective infrastructure comes amid unprecedented missile attacks across Israel, including strikes on Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Bnei Brak, Beer Sheva, Holon, Petah Tikva, Haifa, and Tamra itself. The ongoing conflict, now in its 20th month, has exposed glaring vulnerabilities, especially in socio-economically disadvantaged and minority areas.
Hadash MK Ofer Cassif has called for urgent governmental action, writing to the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee to demand a meeting focused on the protection deficit in poorer neighborhoods and Arab towns. “Millions of citizens live in homes that are not fortified and have no access to public shelters,” Cassif wrote, highlighting risks faced by residents in south Tel Aviv, the Negev, and Arab localities.
Despite a similar committee meeting held in September and the subsequent formation of an inter-ministerial team tasked with addressing fortification gaps, Cassif noted, “No real progress has been recorded to date.” He urged the state to fund and implement comprehensive fortification plans in older neighborhoods and peripheral areas, emphasizing that economic profitability should not dictate the safety of citizens.
Earlier in November, the committee addressed the issue specifically in northern Arab towns. A policy paper submitted by three advocacy groups — Injaz Center for Professional Arab Local Governance, The National Committee for Heads of Arab Local Authorities, and Sikkuy-Aufoq — underscored the dire situation. According to the paper, 23 out of 39 surveyed northern settlements, predominantly Arab, completely lack public shelters. The report also revealed that 59 percent of casualties in the north since the war’s outbreak were Arab citizens.
The groups highlighted the absence of any public shelters in towns such as Tamra, Sakhnin, Jadeidi-Makr, Majd al-Krum, Deir al-Asad, Rameh, and Nahf — collectively home to roughly 150,000 residents. In stark contrast, neighboring cities with predominantly Jewish populations, including Nahariya, Acre, Safed, and Carmiel (approximately 200,000 residents), have some 600 public shelters available.
This disparity has intensified calls from Arab leaders and human rights advocates for the Israeli government to urgently address these gaps and ensure equitable protection for all its citizens, irrespective of ethnicity or socio-economic status.
