Police: Jerusalem Assassination Attempt Linked to Central Region Disputes
Police stated that the Jerusalem assassination attempt on criminal figure Yitzhak Bar Mucha originates from central district disputes rather than local crime rings.
A senior police official told Maariv on Tuesday that the attempted assassination of Yitzhak (Itzik) Bar Mucha in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood does not indicate organized crime activity within the capital. According to law enforcement, the conflict underlying the incident originated in the central district.
"We do not have organized crime organizations in Jerusalem. What happens here is not what happens in other cities, in the south, center, or north. Organized crime abandoned Jerusalem a long time ago following massive pressure from the central unit here," the senior official stated. Investigators noted that Bar Mucha, a well-known figure in the criminal underworld, has lived back in Jerusalem for over six months after previously residing in Yavne, where he became entangled in regional disputes.
Criminal History and Conflicts
During his time in Yavne, Bar Mucha's surroundings experienced a series of violent incidents, including gunfire directed at his residential building, a nearby vehicle arson, and a ready-to-detonate explosive device discovered by authorities. Police examined these events against the backdrop of power struggles among criminal factions in the coastal plain.
"The current incident is not rooted in Jerusalem and is linked to disputes that this criminal figure has with parties in the central region," the senior police source emphasized.
Among the significant disputes tied to his name in recent years is a bitter rivalry with crime boss Kotier Oudeh. The two were previously allies involved in a major criminal case before their relationship deteriorated. Additional investigations over the years examined Bar Mucha's ties with other criminal elements in the Sharon and southern regions, shifting the focus away from the capital.
Past Roots in Jerusalem
While Bar Mucha has a long history in Jerusalem's underworld dating back to past feuds with the Malka family, authorities currently see no indication that historical local disputes motivated the latest attack. Police continue to investigate the central district connections as the primary lead in the ongoing case.
