Police neutralize bomb at Tel Aviv supermarket
Authorities suspect criminal, not political motives; same branch has been targeted for several attacks in recent months
Police sappers neutralized an explosive device found Sunday afternoon at a downtown Tel Aviv branch of the supermarket Tiv Ta’am.
Employees noticed a suspicious object near the back of the store at approximately 5:00 p.m. and alerted authorities. The same branch has been targeted several times in recent months, including three arson attacks, and a bomb that injured one person two weeks ago.
Police suspect that Sunday’s attempted attack was connected to the previous incidents, and they believe that the attacks are criminally motivated, not nationalistic.
Adi Cohen, the CEO of Tiv Ta’am, told Ynet “I am amazed. I hope the police this time will vigorously investigate.”
Sunday’s attack occurred while the branch was undergoing renovations to repair the damage from the previous attack. Nevertheless, Cohen refused to allow anything to derail his plans to re-open his store.
“We still have an employee hospitalized from the previous incident,” he said. “But I am telling you we will reopen the branch, renovated and stronger.”
Tiv Ta’am has 32 branches across Israel and is the country’s largest chain to sell nonkosher meat products.