Five suspects have been arrested in a spree of vandalism including the
firebombing of the Hadera mayor's car in February, police announced Wednesday.
At the time of the attack, Hadera Mayor Haim Avitan blamed his political rivals in the city hall, who he said “behave worse than members of the mafia.”
On Wednesday however, Coastal District police spokesman Eran Shaked said the five suspects carried out the attacks “as part of wanton hooliganism to avenge municipality enforcement against them,” in particular parking tickets and other citations they had acquired.
Shaked added that the vandalism, which also included the torching of local storehouses where the city's Purim carnival supplies were stored, was in no way connected to internal political battles within the Hadera city hall.
All of the suspects are from Hadera, and one of the five is a 17-year-old man who was released from custody on Wednesday.
Shaked said the men are also suspected of torching a scooter and a motorcycle, both of which were linked to feuds with other local Hadera residents.