Police reportedly warned Abutbul of possible hit

Ch. 2 says police knew of plans to kill crime figure, who is in stable condition after Netanya shooting.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
charlie abutbul 224 88 (photo credit: Channel 10 [file])
charlie abutbul 224 88
(photo credit: Channel 10 [file])
Crime family figure Charlie Abutbul, who was critically wounded in an attempted mob hit in Netanya on Monday, had received a prior warning from police that he was being targeted, Channel 2 reported Tuesday. Three civilians were hurt in Monday's incident, in which two gunmen entered a Netanya eatery and opened fire on the crime figure. The shooting took place near the Bat Haikar restaurant, which is owned by the Abutbul family. As paramedics worked to save Abutbul's life in the ambulance that rushed him to Hadera's Hillel Yaffe Hospital, the crime figure's associates drove in front of the ambulance in a desperate bid to clear a path for the vehicle. At the hospital, the associates allegedly attacked paramedics as part of their "efforts" to rush his entry into the hospital building, though a Magen David Adom employee who treated Abutbul denied that he had been assaulted. Doctors worked to stabilize Abutbul's condition, attempting to treat wounds to his chest and stomach. Police have flooded the hospital with security reinforcements due to concern that the would-be assassins would make a second attempt on his life. In the shooting, the windows of Abutbul's car were shattered by flying bullets. Witnesses said that one gunman wearing a motorcycle helmet got off a moped, entered the Offside restaurant in Netanya's industrial zone, and fired four times, before returning to the moped, firing another two rounds at the car and immediately fleeing the area. Bystanders ran from the scene, though three people were lightly wounded in the attack. They were taken to the Laniado Hospital in Netanya. One bystander was shot in the shoulder, while a second suffered abrasions to his hand, a hospital official said. Police have tasked the Serious National and International Crimes (SNIC) Unit and the Lahav 443 organized crimes unit with investigating the shooting. An urgent meeting was called by Cmdr. Yoav Siglovitch, head of the Lahav Unit at the SNIC's Petah Tikva Headquarters, on Monday evening to discuss the course of the investigation. Prof. Menachem Amir of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Criminology, an expert on organized crime in Israel, said the shooting was part of a long-standing feud between the Abutbuls and the Abergils. Charlie Abutbul is the nephew of Felix Abutbul, who was murdered in Prague six years ago. "What we know is that two families are feuding. At the time, the Abergils apparently attempted to harm Abutbul. Abutbul has a café in the area which was becoming competitive [to Abergil-owned businesses]." Amir said "the problem is not that these families are trying to kill each other, but they are firing indiscriminately. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last. This is the problem [with] the Israeli mafia. They couldn't care [less] who is hit in the process - that's what happened today in Netanya and we saw it recently in Bat Yam." Amir added that the crime family's indiscriminate shootings will result in their demise. "This is their end," he predicted. Last month, the Abergil brothers were arrested by the police's anti-organized crime unit following a US extradition request. Amir said the fact that the Abergils were in prison would not keep them from ordering hits on rivals. "Everyone has the right to use a phone. They speak in code, saying, 'sell the shoes,' or 'throw the socks out.' This happens all over the world. "Sicilian-American families ran whole operations out of jails. Lawyers can also be used to transmit messages, but I don't know if that's what happened here." The Abergils were not deterred by their apparent imminent extradition to the US, Amir added, saying, "They don't think they're en route to America. Furthermore, this is an issue of honor and revenge, which guide organized crime families. Also, there are many businesses that need to be managed, as they'll want money to fund lawyers and operations."