Sakhnin Protest Turns into Nationwide Movement Against Extortion Threats

International Desk: PNN

In the Palestinian-majority town of Sakhnin in northern Israel, a protest by a shopkeeper against crime and extortion has escalated into a broader movement. Ali Jubeidat, a long-time local business owner, received repeated threats, forcing him to close all his shops.

On a Monday morning in January, Jubeidat received a message on his phone: “We know where you go, which path you take—if you don’t comply, you will be killed.” His family-owned businesses had already suffered four armed attacks. The latest attack involved dozens of gunshots from automatic weapons at one shop.

Faced with this ongoing violence and threats, he closed his business without any future plan. His decision quickly resonated among residents, leading more businesses to shut down. Locals see this as a collective protest against long-standing criminal networks in Palestinian areas.

Many analysts note that while criminal gangs have thrived in various Palestinian towns and villages, the government has failed to take effective measures. Armed gangs continue extortion, violence, and killings exploiting this negligence.

The protests have spread nationally, with thousands in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem taking to the streets. Both Palestinian and Jewish Israelis have participated. Analysts call this coordinated protest against organized crime rare in Israel’s recent history.

Israeli Palestinian Knesset member Aida Touma-Suleiman stated that 252 Palestinian citizens were killed in Israel in 2025, a grim statistic reflecting deeper realities. Many others cannot live normal lives or are forced to pay a large portion of their income as “protection fees” to criminal networks.