An illegal infiltrator from an Arab village in Judea and Samaria broke into a Jewish home in Herzliya two weeks ago, robbed and threatened the woman who lives there, then tried to blackmail her husband – an act that led to his arrest.

The Arab, Hosni Abu Rahma, aged 22, knocked on the door of the home in Herzliya at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, and demanded to see the man of the house, who he said owed him money. According to the charge sheet against him, he entered by force when the woman opened the door, held a wire cutter to the woman’s neck and threatened to murder her, then told her three children to be quiet or he would murder their mother. 

The eldest child, a 14-year-old boy, remained with the mother, and the two younger children went upstairs.

The woman gave the intruder several cellphones, 300 shekels in cash and a Rolex watch. This did not satisfy him, and he demanded to be paid 2 million shekels within a week’s time, and made the woman give him her husband’s phone number.

Abu Rahma called the husband next day and threatened his life and the lives of his children if he did not give him the money. The Jewish man said he did not have 2 million shekels and Abu Rahma agreed to lower the sum to 800,000 shekels.

The two arranged to meet at Maccabim Junction at 4 p.m. the next day to transfer the cash, but the Jewish man was accompanied by police, who arrested Abu Rahma. He was charged Sunday with robbery in extreme circumstances, extortion through threats, threats and illegal entry into sovereign Israeli territory.