Main enemies: The Abergils, the Alperons, the Jarushis - who, legend has it, fired the first LAW missile in the underworld at him (in 2001, next to Ben-Gurion Airport) - and the Aslans, or what remains of that family.
Allies: The Abutbuls and the Ohaninas; the "partner," Nahman Cohen, who was convicted in the Aslan affair and sentenced to 19 years in prison, and is doing time in Shatta Prison while maintaining his family in a villa in Caesarea; and Amir Mulner, who has apparently been entrusted with running Rosenstein's businesses after the latter's expected extradition to the United States.
Assassination attempts: Numberless, though one day especially, October 2, 2002, stands out. At noon that day, five people identified with the Abergil family were arrested while waiting to ambush Rosenstein next to a Persian restaurant in the old central bus station of Tel Aviv. Found in their possession: a submachine gun, a silencer, gloves and balaclavas. Rosenstein, who did not notice the arrest, went on to a meeting in the Hilton, where two more suspected hit men were arrested. That night, a birthday party was held for Keren Nahari, the daughter of attorney Benny Nahari, Rosenstein's lawyer. As he left, two men on a motorcycle failed to gun him down for the third time that day, this time without police intervention. On December 8, 2003, Rosenstein was at the entrance to the office of a money changer when a bomb went off and three innocent passersby were killed; he himself sustained light wounds.
Vehicle: Mercedes 3,200, 320 cc, armored chassis, armored windows, bulletproof tires (the car was sold recently, following the decision to extradite him).
Security guards: Four all the time, two shifts a day.
Legal representation: Attorneys Benny and Keren Nahari; in the extradition case, attorney Devora Chen, Prof. Uriel Ben Dor and attorney Shlomo Nissim.
Residence: Jaffa, Hod Hasharon, nowadays in a solitary cell in Ayalon Prison, awaiting extradition to the United States on drug charges.
Previous blood revenges: Confidants of Rosenstein are suspected of murdering Yaacov Abergil in Rehovot. In the more distant past: liquidation of members of the Aslan family.
Prior convictions: Break-ins, property, armed robbery; last conviction in 1978.
Thus speaks the target: "I do not wish it on anyone to go through what I am going through now. One blow after another, and I don't know where it's coming from. I am not afraid for myself. I am a believing person and I am afraid only of God. What kills me is what happened around me, that innocent people were killed. I am devastated by that because everyone points at me, everyone keeps their distance from me as though I am a leper, and I am not the guilty one, I am the victim" (December 16, 2003, Rosenstein in an interview with Buki Naeh in Yedioth Ahronoth, a week after three passersby were slain in an attempt to assassinate him in Tel Aviv).
Message in the fortune cookie: Did you see "Oz"? U.S. prisons aren't the safest place in the world, either.
Itzik Abergil
Age: 32
Status: No. 1 police target.
Main enemies: The members of the Abutbul family - Assi, Francois and maybe Charlie, too - because of the murder of Yaacov Abergil (Itzik's brother), which is attributed to emissaries of the father of the family, the late Felix Abutbul; Ze'ev Rosenstein, because of his strategic partnership with Felix but mainly because of his competition in gambling, Ecstasy and the "gray market"; and brothers Rafi and Moshe Ohanina, from Kfar Sava, who want to avenge the murder of their brother, Hananya.
Yaacov Abergil was murdered before the eyes of his children in June 2002. According to all the intelligence analyses carried out by the police, and according to informed sources in the underworld, his murder served the interests of Felix Abutbul, who owned the Europe-wide Casino Royale network. Ofer Maximov was one of the network's important clients and Abergil was his senior source of credit ("authorizer"). Abutbul, according to this theory, favored liquidation of the biggest authorizer of them all in order to send an unequivocal message to the other people who were planning to stop Maximov's money turnover and leave their debts dangling in the air.
Whether the theory is correct or not, the reaction was not long in coming. Two months after the murder of Yaacov Abergil, Felix Abutbul was cut down at the entrance to his Prague casino. His place on the map of Israeli gambling establishments in Europe began to be taken by another gent, Itzik Abergil. Abergil, the unchallenged king of the prisoners in Israel, is today considered the country's top gangster.
Allies: The Alperons.
Assassination attempts: Insignificant, apart from the LAW missile fired at him at the Arad junction about three months ago.
Vehicle: BMW Jeep and Mercedes Jeep, both armored, of course.
Security guards: About four on each shift.
Family legal representation: Attorney Sharon Nahari.
Residence: Originally in a Lod neighborhood; afterward, within the framework of his conditions of release from prison, in Arad and Amsterdam. Today he still lives in Arad, but also has an apartment in Ashdod, on the same street as soccer star Haim Revivo.
Previous blood revenges: The first Israeli Godfather, Felix Abutbul, was liquidated two months after the murder of Itzik's beloved brother, Yaacov Abergil. Since then the families have had a so-so time.
Prior convictions: Murder, at the age of 17.
Thus speaks the target: Does not give interviews; rumor has it that he likes to quote the Nietzschean adage, "What does not kill, strengthens."
Message in the fortune cookie: He will bury us all.
Ziad and Hathem Jarushi
Ages: 50, 53.
Status: No. 1 police target in the Arab sector; Ziad is the brain, Hathem the brawn.
Main enemies: The members of the Karaja hamula (clan). Although the Karajas were distanced to the village of Harish, their confidants from the Abu Ziad family still live in the coastal plain region. In addition, the Jarushis are embroiled somewhat with everyone they need to be, depending on the time and place of their operations.
Allies: Close to home, the Mugrabis and al-Issawi; recently they have hooked up with Itzik Abergil and criminal elements in Haifa and its suburbs.
Assassination attempts: Endless. The latest attempt occurred when Ziad Jarushi was doing time in Ayalon Prison. Someone threw a grenade at the facility from the adjacent street in Ramle. The Prisons Service got the message and transferred him to Shatta Prison in the north.
Residence: Juarish neighborhood in Lod, presently in prison.
Vehicles: When they are not in prison, armored Isuzu Jeeps.
Security guards: Clan members.
Legal representation: Attorneys Moshe Sherman, Avi Himi, Zion Amir.
Previous blood revenges: At least 30 liquidations in bloody incidents. For example, in 2001, in Ramle, one of their brothers was gunned down as he sat in a barbershop chair. Another family member was liquidated from a passing car at the intersection next to Ramle Prison. In a 1999 gun battle, Jarushis were attacked from two passing cars in the middle of the town of Nes Tziona, but fought back and killed the assailants, one of whom was Amin Karaja. On one occasion, they got into a fight with the Al-Ubara family, which was doing volunteer service in the Civil Guard in order to help put a stop to the gun battles in the neighborhood.
Prior convictions: Drug dealing, firearms.
Message in the fortune cookie: It will end with tears. Ask singer Eyal Golan, three of whose bouncers at his pub in Rehovot were attacked before his eyes a few weeks ago, though he "did not see" anything.
Yaacov Alperon
Age: 50.
Status: No. 1 police target emeritus.
Main enemies: Newest - Amir Mulner. Angriest - the Ohanina brothers. Most wretched - Michael Halfon (an indigent from whom Alperon ripped off a horse ranch next to Ramat Poleg) and various sand-dunes contractors and anonymous flower sellers.
Allies: The Abergils.
Assassination attempts: A sea of them, but engraved in the public consciousness are four Belorussians and one Georgian who tried to take him down and are now awaiting the court's verdict.
Vehicle: Volvo.
Security guards: Four per shift.
Legal representation: Attorney Shay Nudel.
Residence: Formerly in Givat Shmuel, now in Ra'anana.
Previous blood revenges: The late Yefet Nagar, the late Gad Shatz, the late Hananya Ohanina.
Thus speaks the target: "There was a meeting with Assi Abutbul next to the ranch in Ramat Poleg - but a kiss? That's a bit much, guys" (Yaacov Alperon in response to Hadashot Netanya, October 1, 2004).
Message in the fortune cookie: February will be an excellent time to start checking under the car every morning.
Amir Mulner
Age: 33
Status: No. 1 engineer of the Israeli underworld.
Main enemies: Yitzhak (Hish) Hadif (because of the liquidation of his brother, Rabbi Avraham Hadif, and the other victims of the Pardes Katz gang), as well as Yaacov Alperon and perhaps the Ben Or family. Another possibility: the heirs of a millionaire woman from South Africa who was liquidated, though mainly her allies, if they are still alive.
Allies: Brand new - Ze'ev Rosenstein. It's thought that Mulner has been entrusted with maintaining several of Rosenstein's strategic businesses in return for partnership (thus accounting for his new enemies). Also, it is thought, everyone who wants to get rid of Itzik Abergil.
Assassination attempts: Two weeks ago he was stabbed in the neck at the Herzliya Conference of the underworld held in the lobby of the luxurious Daniel Hotel.
Vehicle: Metallic Toyota Cruiser Jeep.
Security guards: Recently, eight per shift.
Legal representation: Attorney Motti Katz.
Residence: Akirov Towers on Pinkas Street, Tel Aviv.
Previous blood revenges: Rabbi Avraham Hadif, who was murdered.
Prior convictions: Few, and for minor infractions.
Thus speaks the target: Thunderous silence.
Message in the fortune cookie: Dynamite will talk.
Nazia and Sheikh Malik Khariri
Ages: 40, 29.
Status: No. 1 police targets in the north.
Main enemies: The Abdel Kader family from Taibeh, because of whom they had to leave the city, and everyone who does not pay protection even after getting a courteous explanation.
Allies: In Netanya, Riko Shirazi and the Abutbuls; in the past, the Kakons in Haifa.
Assassination attempts: Their mourning tent was fired on during the period of mourning for Yehiyeh Khariri in 2004.
Prior blood revenges: The blood of the leader, Yehiyeh Khariri, has not yet been cleansed.
Prior convictions: Sheikh Malik - none; Nazia was accused of rape.
Message in the fortune cookie: They will survive this winter - and you?
Assi Abutbul
Age: 30.
Status: The heir.
Main enemies: Itzik Abergil, Yaacov Alperon, and also Yoram El Al, who was very close to daddy Felix.
Allies: Itzik Gefen, Riko Shirazi and Hani Jerbi, with all of whom he has recently made peace; as of last week, perhaps also Amir Mulner − in short, everyone who has accounts to settle with Alperon and Abergil.
Assassination attempts: His BMW hurtled into the air one day about five years ago in the center of Netanya (in it was Yoram El Al, who was injured and permanently disabled and became his bitter enemy); a grenade in Prague; and for an encore, a LAW missile in the middle of Ramat Poleg.
Vehicle: Armored BMW Jeep (impounded last week and returned after a pledge that he would not travel in it).
Security guards: Seven or eight per shift, half of them close to him, the others guarding the destinations to which he is heading.
Legal representation: Attorneys Revital Sweid and Avi Himi.
Residence: Apartment at 7 Halilach Street in the Ramat Poleg section of Netanya.
Previous blood revenges: The murder of daddy Felix.
Prior convictions: None, not even an indictment.
Thus speaks the target: "The police would do well to deal with eradicating crime and not eradicating the economy" (appeared in Hadashot Netanya in connection with the torpedoing of his participation in a public tender to purchase part of the city beach).
Message in the fortune cookie: Go to the Caribbean. You can afford it.
Hathem Khamed
Age: 49.
Status: No. 1 dealer.
Main enemies: The Awari family from Nazareth, a point-specific but lethal conflict over struggles to control relatively small gambling affairs in the area of Nazareth and the Jezre'el Valley.
Allies: Leads one of the most powerful and respected families in Israeli crime, which for years controlled the heroin market serenely and without wars.
Assassination attempts: Four of Hathem's nephews were liquidated in the wars with the Awari family.
Vehicle: Armored Jeep.
Security guards: None.
Legal representation: Attorney Avi Bardugo.
Residence: Adjacent to his parents' home in the eastern neighborhood of Nazareth, a huge house of about 20 rooms surrounded by an electrified fence.
Previous blood revenges: According to local legend, the eldest brother of the House of Khamed was a member of one of the terrorist organizations and was killed in Lebanon. His photograph hangs on the central wall in the home of the brother.
Prior convictions: Drugs, firearms, property.
Message in the fortune cookie: The heroin market has fallen off, the family missed the international gambling market - have you maybe thought about the hotel industry?
Riko Shirazi
Age: 44
Status: Godfather 2 (at least in Netanya).
Main enemies: Everyone who gets too close to Ofer Maximov. (In May 2002, Etti Alon, an employee of the Trade Bank, was arrested, but she had already made available tens of millions of shekels from the bank's coffers to her brother, the compulsive gambler Ofer Maximov, from whom the money flowed to the Israeli gambling sharks in Eastern Europe.)
Allies: Known as a coalition man; has cooperated with Abergil, Abutbul, Khariri, Jerbi, Ben Moha, Malka.
Assassination attempts: A few years ago, detectives asked him to leave the King Cafe in Netanya because of information they had about an expected hit attempt. Two years ago the four Iluz brothers, from Jerusalem, were arrested with an M-16 rifle in the trunk of the car, while waiting opposite his home in Ramat Poleg. They were charged with planning to murder Shirazi.
Vehicle: Dark blue BMW 730.
Security guards: Three or four.
Legal representation: Attorneys Galit Levy, Avi Vaig, Revital Sweid.
Residence: Ramat Poleg and Sea and Sun.
Prior convictions: Complicity in murder, extortion with threats.
Thus speaks the target: "When I see Ofer Maximov I get fueled and continue the day like a peacock" (appeared in Kol Ha'ir, from tapes that were made public at the trial of the Jerusalem Gang, which blackmailed Maximov).
Message in the fortune cookie: You will reach the moon by the age of 50.
Yossi Harari
Age: 40.
Status: Potential senior figure in waiting mode.
Main enemies: Itzik (Hishi) Hadif.
Allies: Close to everyone and held in high regard, but at this stage is busy making big money and maintaining neutrality, including in the new war of his former soldier, Amir Mulner. Besides that, he has this friend, Avi Nimni, the soccer star (and even Avraham Grant during his period as coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv), and the Rosenstein-like tendency to star in the society columns of the newspapers (see "Residence," below).
Assassination attempts: Twenty years ago, as the leader of the Ramat Amidar gang, he suffered critical stab wounds at the hands of the Pardes Katz gang; ten years ago his nephew was murdered on his way to school.
Vehicle: Mercedes.
Security guards: two or three.
Legal representation: Attorney Eli Cohen.
Residence: From Ramat Amidar to a luxury villa in Caesarea, and last week the gossip columns reported that he is building a new villa, in the ultra-upscale Tel Aviv suburb of Savyon.
The message in the fortune cookie: Solid and neutral (seemingly).
The Azazma Tribe
Status: Unchallenged control of the desert.
Main enemies: They are not committed to anyone and so far no organization has dared to violate the criminal code they dictate - honor, word-as-bond - in the realms they control: smuggling of women, drugs, consumer goods (especially gold, cigarettes and the like), and also of late, arms that mostly find their way to the underworld; the Shin Bet security service is also talking about a smuggling route to terrorist groups in the West Bank.
Allies: Not connected to the crime organizations in the usual alliances. Meticulous about upholding agreements and faithful to everyone who pays good money and on time.
Assassination attempts: Only among themselves - Israeli Jews do not mess with them.
Vehicles: A fleet of all-terrain vehicles and shiny Mercedes.
Security guards: Gangs, without professional guards.
Legal representation: Attorney Moshe Sherman.
Residence: Eastward from Be'er Sheva Prison, scattered in dozens of tent camps and villages.
Prior convictions: January 2002, murder of the police intelligence officer Superintendent Yisrael Silvera. In 2001 a group of smugglers cut the tongue of an Egyptian policeman, then dragged him across the desert and "confirmed the killing" by running over him repeatedly.
The word from the police: None. By the way, there are policeman from the Azazma tribe.
The message in the fortune cookie: The most authentic crime organization
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