Last update - 00:00 15/12/2006
Haaretz reporter's car set alight; link to reputed crime family suspected
By Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent
Senior Haaretz journalist Akiva Eldar's car was torched before dawn Friday near his Netanya home, and police are examining the possibility that the incident was related to his writing about the Abutbul reputed crime family.
The incident took place in the parking lot of his apartment complex in the Ramat Poleg neighborhood in Netanya around 2:30 A.M.
"Neighbors called me and told me my car was burning up in flames," said Eldar. "Police found a jerrycan and newspapers next to the car, and based on this, determined it was arson."
Eldar has previously written about past attempts to assassinate reputed underworld figure Asi Abutbul, who used to live in his building. The assassination attempts included the firing of a LAW armor-piercing missile, which caused no injuries, but did result in an earsplitting explosion in the neighborhood.
However, Eldar said Friday that he was not sure Abutbul or his cronies are behind the arson.
"If they haven't harmed me until now, why would it start now?" Eldar said.
Indeed, other cars of the same model as Eldar's were parked in the same lot, giving way to the possibility that the arsonists had intended to target a different vehicle.