Arsonist sets fire to car belonging to Islamic court judge in Jaffa

Livni sets emergency meeting to discuss violence against law enforcement workers, struggle against crime syndicates.

By BEN HARTMAN
Jaffa Port 370 (R) (photo credit: Eliana Aponte/Reuters)
Jaffa Port 370 (R)
(photo credit: Eliana Aponte/Reuters)
Unknown assailants torched a car belonging to a kadi, an Islamic court judge in Jaffa on Sunday, in what may be a new attack on law enforcement officials in Israel.
The judge, Mohammed Zbeida, was not hurt, and at the moment Tel Aviv police said they have not made any arrests.
Islamic court judges handle marriage and divorce cases, as well as property disputes.
Zbeiba said after the incident that he “feels safe and this won't deter me from doing my job.” He added that he had spoken to Justice Ministry officials and felt confident that police would find the people responsible.
Zubeida was visited on Sunday by the head of the Justice Ministry Dr. Guy Rutkopf, and the head of the ministry's security branch Modi Naor, and spoke with Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.
Rutkopf said the incident was “an unusual event that directly follows the blowing up of the prosecutor's car in Tel Aviv. We view these as very grave incidents.”
On Sunday evening the Justice Ministry held an emergency meeting to discuss the growing violence against he justice system including the torching a week and a half ago of the SUV belonging to a top Tel Aviv District Prosecutor, who handled a number of organized crime cases.