A revised indictment filed Wednesday has linked one of Israel’s most violent and powerful organized crime syndicates to the car bombing that targeted real estate developer Itzik Teshuva in January 2023.
The updated charges, submitted by the State Prosecutor’s Economic Department to the Lod District Court, accuse Latif Abu Latif—a senior figure in the Abu Latif crime organization—and several others of involvement in the bombing, which injured a bystander and caused over one million shekels (approximately $320,000) in property damage.
The amended indictment marks the first time prosecutors have officially tied the Abu Latif organization to the bombing and to earlier extortion attempts against Teshuva.
According to the charges, several days before the attack, Amir Shukir and another man, Imran Shakir, conducted surveillance near Teshuva’s residence in Netanya to identify his car. Shukir was previously convicted in February 2023 for attaching and detonating the explosive device.
The new indictment alleges that senior crime boss Latif Abu Latif was informed—at his request—that Teshuva had not paid extortion demands. Imran Shakir then contacted Shukir, who located Teshuva’s vehicle and planted the bomb.
The explosion injured a passerby and damaged multiple nearby vehicles.
The development comes just a week after 11 members of the Abu Latif organization were indicted on a range of charges, including extortion by threats and force, conspiracy to commit a crime, obstruction of justice, fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and customs violations.
In April 2023, 12 other alleged members were indicted in a separate case involving violent extortion, public infrastructure tender manipulation and large-scale tax and money laundering offenses totaling tens of millions of shekels.
Wednesday’s updated indictment expands on those cases, focusing specifically on Abu Latif’s role in the attempted extortion and bombing targeting Teshuva.