Al-Batuf Council Head Denies Involvement in Extortion Ring

Ahed Rahal, the head of the Al-Batuf local council, has vehemently denied any connection to an extortion and protection racket, following his arrest on Monday as part of a large-scale police operation. Rahal, who previously served in the Israel Police and received a commendation for preventing a terror attack, stated, "I have no hand or foot in this affair. Not even a little. I am disconnected from the whole story, and most of the people they ask me about are not even known to me." He dismissed the charges, adding, "It's true that arresting council heads is fashionable now, but what do you want from me? In the end, nothing will come of it, you will see."

Police suspect Rahal, along with his son, established two shell companies to funnel money obtained through extortion. Rahal's son was also arrested in the operation, while another son is currently facing charges in a separate extortion case. Rahal refuted these allegations, stating, "My son has a company that provides various services. It operates legally and has all the permits. It has nothing to do with me. And the affair in which my second son is involved also has nothing to do with me." He further asserted that his bank accounts and assets are clean, with no illicit funds or properties registered in his name.

The arrests are part of "Operation Shadow Guardians," a broad crackdown on crime organizations involved in protection fee collection. The operation, which followed an extensive covert investigation by the Coastal District and Lahav 433 units, involved approximately 500 officers across the country. The investigation is examining around 15 cases of protection fee collection in the north, south, and center of Israel. Suspects include senior figures in local crime families, who allegedly pressured contractors to use their security services for construction sites, often without providing any actual protection, demanding tens of thousands of shekels per site.