Man shot dead in northern Israel, in killing likely tied to organized crime
52-year-old victim of drive-by shooting in Kiryat Bialik known to authorities; police also uncover underground tunnel used by mafia in Nazareth
By TOI STAFF
Today, 2:50 pm 0

A 52-year-old man was killed by a drive-by shooter on a motorcycle in Kiryat Bialik in northern Israel on Wednesday night, police said.

The police are familiar with the victim, who was identified as Eitan Isakov, and suspect that the shooting is related to organized crime.

The shooting took place while Isakov was sitting in a car outside a family business.

In 2021, Iskov’s brother and nephew, Shumi and Pe’er Isakov, were murdered in a case that is still unsolved.

According to Walla, the Isakov family gained power and influence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through their gambling business, but later distanced themselves from the crime scene following pressure from law enforcement.

There was an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Shumi Isakov and a third Isakov brother, Shalom, in 2017, and another unsuccessful attempt against Shalom in 2011. Shalom Isakov died of an illness in 2021.

In related news, Ynet reported that police recently uncovered an underground tunnel in Nazareth used by the organization of crime boss Samir Bakri.

The tunnel is dozens of meters in length. Police suspect it was used as a hideaway for members of Bakri’s organization and possibly for smuggling weapons.

Dozens have been killed as a result of the feud between the Bakri organization and the Hariri organization.

“One day, we were tipped off about an uninhabited house that people were entering and leaving,” Nati Simcha, an intelligence and reconnaissance officer at the Nazareth police station, told Ynet. “We arrived at the house, saw the tunnel and thought it was a small pit. We monitored the place for 30 hours and discovered that it was a tunnel of dozens of meters, divided into several sections.”

The tunnel uncovered by police. (Israel Police Spokesperson)
Simcha says digging likely began two years ago, when the Bakri-Hariri feud began.

A deadly crime surge in Arab communities continues to shatter records set over the past few years.

Since the beginning of the year, 159 members of the Arab community have been killed by violence, much of it attributed by police to warring crime organizations. The figure is over twice as high as for the same period in 2022.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-s...-killing-likely-tied-to-organized-crime/

Israeli organized crime is no joke. In terms of operating it's definitely one of the most sophisticated forces of organized crime around. On the other hand it's also surprisingly violent since crime families in the country are involved in continuous seemingly unending and often deadly feuds.

In the Arab community the two feuds that have seen the most bodies drop are the Jarushi-Karaja feud (which are two Bedouin clans from Central Israel) and the Hariri-Bakri feud (which is based in the Palestinian area of Northern Israel). Both the Jarushi and the Hariri clans are regarded as two of the three most powerful Arab crime families. The other major Arab crime family is the Abu Latif clan, who have a complete stranglehold over organized crime in the Druze community in Northern Israel. The grip of Abu Latif on their community has been so formidable no other clan has gone against them.
Especially the Jarushi and Abu Latif clans have infiltrated politics as well as the military. All of them have international connections. Abu Latif have been arrested for transnational arms and narcotics trafficking linked with Lebanese clans that are connected to Hezbollah - which is a strange case seeing Abu Latif are a Druze clan, which are usually at odds with Hezbollah-connected Lebanese Shi'ite clans. The Jarushi and Hariri clans allegedly have influence over criminal elements in Arab/Palestinian diaspora communities.

The old school Jewish crime families - despite being the target of law enforcement for years - are still involved in high level criminal operations as well and - even moreso than the Arab crime families - have a wide international reach. Abergil, Abutbul, Amir Mulner, Domrani, Zaguri...have been detected in the USA, Mexico, South Africa, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Romania and Hungary (where they have stakes in casino's) as well as Morocco (since basically all of these crime families have full or partial Moroccan Jewish origins).
Then you also have the Georgian-Israeli crime families in Nahariya (to which Michael Mor, whose full family name is Modzgrishvili, his organization is connected) and in Ashdod (to which Benny Shlomo's group was reportedly connected). The Georgian-Israeli crime clans are different entities from the Georgian mafia groups in Moscow, Tbilisi and Kutaisi, but they also have a presence in for instance NYC and Antwerp (where they're highly active in the diamond and jewelry business as well).

They have many investments and dealings in Amsterdam region. Often referred to by locals as the 'kosher mafia'.

The notorious gangster Yitzhak Meiri (56) was shot dead in broad daylight in A'dam in December 2021. The shooter was underaged and didn't have a clue why he had to be killed he only got 2 years plus youth detention under a hospital order.

LMAO prison time in Western Europe truly is a joke. You whack someone without knowing why that person has to be whacked and all you get is 2 years? That's outrageous lol

In Eastern Europe is the same thing, meaning for a murder you can receive 4 or 5 years max, but if you get caught with drugs you'll probably received 10 to 20 years, depending on the amount.

In Italy you get higher sentences only if charged with mafia-type association

For drunk driving and killing someone , stabbing , some murders , very true , you get like 5-10 years , meaning you are out in like 3-7 years. But with high-profile organized crime murders , you get 20+ , at least here.

Justice wanted to sentence him under adult law even he was 16 at the time, they asked for 8 years and detention under hospital order (TBS) which means they can keep him as long as they want with intense treating.

But the judges sentenced him under youth law which is soft here 1 or 2 years plus youth TBS.

Police arrest top crime boss after four months on the run
Samir Bakri nabbed during raid on compound in northern Bedouin town of Basmat Tab’un; vehicle seized believed used in drive-by shooting Tuesday

https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-arrest-top-crime-boss-after-four-months-on-the-run/

2 killed, 3 injured as gangland car bombing sparks police chase, shootout
Assailant said to hurl explosive at car carrying rivals, as cops tracking them give chase, fatally shoot suspect; suspected gunman shot by cops deployed to Ramle neighborhood

https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-kil...ngland-car-bombing-ensuing-police-chase/