Criminal8/17/2026

Two Rahat Residents Charged With Extorting Competitors by Threats

Sami Abu Ghalibin and his nephew Mohammed Abu Ghalibin were charged with threatening business competitors who sold products to foreign workers in the Gaza border area and the western Negev. According to the indictment, the threats were intended to force the competitors to stop operating in the area; the defendants have not yet been convicted in court.

Key facts

•Defendants: Sami Abu Ghalibin and Mohammed Abu Ghalibin
•Ages: 47 and 29
•Place of residence: Rahat
•Sami: extortion by threats and dangerous driving
•Mohammed: extortion by threats
•No case numbers, court or exact date were specified

The Parties Involved in the Case

The defendants are Sami Abu Ghalibin, 47, a resident of Rahat, and his nephew Mohammed Abu Ghalibin, 29. Sami owns a store that sells food products to foreign workers in the Gaza border area and the western Negev. The complainant, whose name was not disclosed, also sold agricultural products and consumer goods to foreign workers and was his business competitor.

Nature of the Charges

According to the indictment, the defendants repeatedly threatened the complainant, his son and his employees, demanding that they stop selling in the area. Sami is alleged to have threatened harm to people and property, arrived carrying an iron bar and attempted to open the doors of a locked vehicle. He is also alleged to have carried out a dangerous road maneuver that, according to the prosecution, prevented the competitors’ vehicle from overtaking safely.

Allegations Against Mohammed

According to the charging materials, Mohammed told the complainant in July that he had spotted his vehicle near Eshkol Park and threatened to plant an explosive device in the vehicle if he appeared in the area again. Later, in Moshav Mivtahim, he allegedly again demanded that the complainant not work there. The prosecution claims that because of the threats, the complainant and his employees sometimes refrained from making trips or first checked whether Sami was at the location.

Legal Status of the Case

Sami Abu Ghalibin is charged with extortion by threats and a reckless or negligent act while driving a vehicle, while Mohammed is charged with extortion by threats. The source does not specify the case number, the court, the exact date on which the indictment was filed or specific statutory provisions. The materials presented do not include a determination on the merits of the allegations.

What this means for you

The case shows that threatening competitors with the aim of driving them out of a sales area may provide grounds for a criminal charge of extortion by threats. However, the filing of an indictment does not mean a conviction; the circumstances described still need to be examined by the court.

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Case analysis based on court rulings