By Pesach Benson • May 18, 2026
Jerusalem, 18 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Shock and outrage erupted on Monday following the attempted assassination of Jadeidi-Makr council head Suhail Melhem and his deputy, who were shot after leaving a wedding in northern Israel. The attack, carried out late Sunday night, left both men seriously injured and renewed concerns over escalating violence targeting public officials in Arab communities.
President Isaac Herzog said the attempted killing was a “serious and shocking event” that must be confronted decisively. “I was shocked to hear about the attempted murder last night of the head of the local council of Jadeidi-Makr, Suhail Melhem, and his deputy,” he said.
“This is a serious and shocking event, which joins the unbearable wave of violence that is harming Arab society and claiming many victims, almost every day,” Herzog added. He called the phenomenon “a strategic threat to the State of Israel” and said he had previously spoken with Melhem about threats he had received. He urged “a firm call to fight this terrible phenomenon with all the tools at our disposal.”
The shooting took place late Sunday, shortly before midnight, near the exit of a wedding in Jadeidi-Makr in the Galilee. Police said the assailant arrived on a scooter, opened fire at close range, first hitting the deputy and then the council head, before fleeing the scene.
MDA paramedic Haret Kaliv, who arrived at the scene, said: “We saw a 49-year-old man who was wounded by gunfire while he was conscious. We provided him with life-saving medical treatment and evacuated him to the hospital in moderate condition,” said Magen David Adom paramedic Haret Kaliv. “Another injured man, a man in his 50s, was evacuated from the scene while he was conscious and suffering from serious gunshot wounds to his body and is in serious condition.”
Both men were evacuated conscious to Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya.
The hospital said Melhem underwent several surgeries and was admitted to intensive care in serious but stable condition. His deputy is in moderate condition in the orthopedics department with limb injuries, and both remain under observation.
Police have opened an investigation. Authorities have not announced any arrests.
The attack on Melhem is the latest in a wave of violent crime affecting Israel’s Arab communities. Since the beginning of the year, 117 people, mostly Israeli Arabs, have been murdered in violent incidents.
The surging violence is widely attributed to organized crime groups engaged in turf wars and efforts to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and women.
Critics argue the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician, became National Security Minister in 2022.
