Tirat Carmel mayor’s car burned in suspected arson attack
2 other vehicles also destroyed in blaze outside Aryeh Tal’s home in north; police open an investigation; mayor has been under threat for months, though says he’s baffled as to why
Police opened an investigation on Sunday after a car belonging to Tirat Carmel Mayor Aryeh Tal was burned overnight in the northern city in a suspected arson attack.
Tal has reportedly been facing threats to his life for some time, though he says he is baffled as to why and from whom.
His wife’s car, which was parked alongside his own, and another car also caught fire, according to Hebrew media reports.
There were no injuries reported in the blaze.
Police opened an investigation into the incident and forensic teams arrived at the mayor’s home to gather evidence, the force said.
“This is a very serious incident,” a source in the city municipality told the Ynet website. “There were threats as we understood, but now we have progressed to actions, and that is something that needs to be quickly stopped.”
תיעוד: רכבו הבוער של ראש עיריית טירת כרמל אריה טל@CBeyar pic.twitter.com/wKWg2ny7I6
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 12, 2021
Tal has been mayor of Tirat Carmel, a small city south of Haifa, since 2009.
On the eve of the Rosh Hashanah holiday, September 6, police notified Tal that he needed “the highest level of security protection” due to threats to his life, Ynet reported.
At the time, Tal said he had no idea why he was being threatened or who was behind it.
As a result of the threats, security was provided for his home, and the mayor himself was allocated a personal bodyguard.
Tal maintains that he does not know why he is being threatened, Ynet reported Sunday, and has said that the circumstances are causing panic among his family members who fear for his safety.
