Israelis bet on site of next bombing

Peter Beaumont
Friday June 14, 2002
The Guardian

The Israeli police are investigating a claim that an illegal gambling ring is running a sweepstake on the location of the next Palestinian suicide bombing.
Reports in the newspaper Ma'ariv and on Israel Radio alleged that the ring, based in the town of Kiryat Malachi, was distributing betting sheets with the odds for various locations. Ma'ariv condemned the enterprise as being in the "worst taste imaginable".

The betting sheet gives odds of 17-1 against for the Red Sea resort of Eilat, which has been free of violence during the latest uprising, and six to four against for Jerusalem, which has been attacked by suicide bombers many times.

The wagers count for attacks by "Arabs against Jews, and not the opposite".

The reports have shocked Israel, which has suffered 60 bombings in the past 21 months, killing more than 200 people and prompting many people to avoid such public places as cafes, buses and malls.

Gambling is outlawed in Israel, although the practice is widespread, and an illegal casino in Rishon Letzion was one of the bombers' targets. Fifteen people died.