Protection Racket Threats Force Bakery Closure in Shfaram Amid Rising Crime Demands
In recent months, the demand for protection money has intensified among business owners in Arab communities across Israel, leading to growing fear and closures. A bakery in Shfaram, operating for over 30 years and supporting around ten families, was forced to shut down after being extorted for three million shekels. Following the closure, the bakery was boarded up with metal sheets, and family members remain under threat, unable to move freely.
Local residents expressed sorrow over the closure of a well-known establishment, describing the sight of the shuttered bakery as distressing. Similar incidents have been reported in the Nazareth area, where a business owner faced demands for 50,000 shekels and threats including gunfire, forcing him to close his business temporarily. In the Triangle region, a family-run business was pressured to pay 70,000 shekels; after partial payment, threats resumed, leaving the family without income and fearful of reporting to police.
Business owners report that some have been injured by gunfire after refusing to pay protection fees. The perpetrators often claim to represent criminal organizations, though their true identities remain unknown. Their threatening behavior has created a climate of fear among local entrepreneurs.
Last week, the organization Shomer Hachadash released a study estimating that each Israeli household pays about 8,000 shekels annually as a "silent tax" due to crime and protection rackets. The study, conducted with the Rifman Institute, highlights that the public bears a 23 billion dollar yearly cost from increased car insurance premiums, extortion of businesses, and inflated housing prices due to protection costs, which can reach 5% of construction budgets. The report also notes that 93% of farmers in the Eastern Galilee and 90% in the Negev report extortion and threats, impacting food prices.
Shomer Hachadash calls on the government to implement a national plan to strengthen law enforcement, target criminal organizations economically, and enhance protection for farmers and construction sites.
