Failed hit on underworld boss kills 3

Three people were killed yesterday afternoon and at least 30 were injured in a gangland Tel Aviv explosion apparently aimed at killing underworld kingpin Ze'ev Rosenstein, who escaped with slight injuries to his hand and leg.

The explosion just outside a foreign currency exchange shop a few doors from the busy downtown intersection of Yehuda Halevy Street and Allenby Street killed Moshe Mizrahi, 28, from Eilat, who was passing by when the bomb went off; Tel Aviv resident Rahamim Suriya, 43, who lived a few doors down from the foreign currency shop; and 19-year-old Naftali Meged, son of the owner of the shop.

A Tel Aviv court slapped a gag order on all details regarding the explosive device itself, but reports earlier in the day said that the device was professionally made. Shortly after police arrived on the scene, and even before they learned of Rosenstein's presence there, they noted that the bomb was powerful but did not include the nuts, bolts and nails common to terror bombs. Several cars on the street were damaged as a result of the explosion, and a porch on a nearby building collapsed.

In the last year, 10 innocent bystanders have been killed and dozens wounded in the cross fire of gangland battles.

The bombers' obvious disregard for civilian lives, was described by Police Commissioner Shlomo Aharonishki as the "equivalent to the Park Hotel bombing ... which was followed by Operation Defensive Shield," a theme picked up later in the day by Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, who promised "an all-out police offensive" against organized crime." Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that the upcoming cabinet meeting on Sunday would begin with a discussion of the organized crime problem.

Just last week, Rosenstein, long described as a major Israeli crime kingpin, was being held on suspicion he had ordered an underworld slaying. But the contract killer who claimed that Rosenstein had hired him was proved by another witness to be lying, and police were forced to release Rosenstein. He was slightly injured in the blast, which went off as he entered the foreign currency exchange shop, and he was immediately hustled into his armored Mercedes by his bodyguards. After going to his home, he was taken by his guards to Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava, where he was treated for hand and leg injuries. Rosenstein was then picked up by police for questioning about who might want to hurt him. But police knew ahead of time that he would answer he is a legitimate businessman with no enemies that he knows about.

"The number one intelligence target for the Israeli police," as he's often described, Rosenstein owns casinos in Europe and is believed to be allied with the Netanya-based Abutbul family, whose patriarch Felix was murdered last summer outside an Abutbul-owned casino in Prague. Rosenstein's rivals and competitors are the Alperon and Abergil families. The current round of fighting goes back to an attempted murder of Nissim Alperon, who survived the attempt and came to believe Rosenstein was behind it. Rosenstein has survived at least six attempted hits on his life since 1996.

Aharonishki instructed police to step up their offensive activity against known organized crime figures, by beefing up "central units" in each district, which are assigned to monitor underworld families. Aharonishki also ordered more work overseas with foreign police departments, to track activity by the crime families there. The income tax authorities will also be brought into the fight against organized crime. The commissioner is expected to tell the government on Sunday and MKs during the week that more resources are needed by the police.

The chairman of the Knesset Interior Committee, MK Yuri Stern of National Union, and Likud MK Michael Eitan, head of the Constitution, Justice and Law Committee, announced they would be conducting discussions in their committees.

	A passerby injured in yesterday's attempt on the life of underworld figure Ze'ev Rosenstein being evacuated from the scene.
	Photo by: Uriel Sinai