Three Residents of Beitar Illit Charged with Arson of Ramat Gan Cafe Over Sabbath Dispute

The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office filed charges on Friday at the Tel Aviv District Court against three suspects from Beitar Illit: Shalom Eliyahu Hershelag (23), Uriel Ben Abu (18), and a 16-year-old minor. They are accused of deliberately setting fire to the "Bendita" cafe located on the ground floor of a residential building in Ramat Gan. According to the indictment, the trio conspired to commit the arson, with Ben Abu arranging a hotel room in Tel Aviv to plan the attack. They conducted a preliminary reconnaissance of the cafe's surroundings before carrying out the act.

The indictment details that on the night following their planning, the suspects left the hotel dressed in camouflage clothing, stopped at a gas station to purchase gasoline and a lighter, then poured gasoline on the cafe and ignited it before fleeing. The prosecution charged all three with arson and requested their detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings, citing that their actions endangered the public and residents of the building, though the incident resulted only in property damage.

Investigations revealed that the suspects, aged 16, 19, and 23, acted in coordination and with premeditation, motivated by opposition to the cafe operating on the Sabbath. Police suspect they were paid by a third party behind the attacks and are investigating possible additional planned arsons. The investigation began in May after the initial fire report, with two more arson incidents at the same location occurring in June and early July. The Dan District Crime Fighting Unit led the investigation, which culminated in the suspects' arrest last week. Their detention has been extended multiple times as the inquiry continues.