Tzachi Bsarim, in Bat Yam
Tzachi Bsarim, in Bat YamFlash 90

An attempt was made Tuesday morning to set on fire the restaurant that employed murdered soldier Tomer Hazan as well as his murderer, Nidal Amar.

The restaurant, Tzachi Bsarim, is located on Herzl street in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv. The eatery is closed until the end of the traditional shiva mourning week for Hazan Hy"d.

Israel Hayom reported that the can was thrown at a flower pot at the entrance to the restaurant at around 6:30 AM. The liquid caught fire and fire brigades were alerted, as well as police. By the time they arrived, however, a fire extinguisher had been used to douse the flames before any damage was done.

Ayalon District police began an investigation, checking security camera footage, among other things, to see if the culprits can be identified in it. Police said that they are concerned that there will be more attempts to damage the restaurant.

Tzachi Antabi, the restaurant's owner, denied at first that there was an arson attempt, but later conceded that the matter was "being looked into."

Hundreds of people have taken part in demonstrations outslde the restaurant, to protest the fact that it employs Arabs. The employment of Arabs led to Hazan's death, they said.

Amar, a resident of the village of Bayt Amin, near Kalkilya, convinced Hazan to take a taxi toward Shaarei Tikva, which is close to that village.

He persuaded the soldier to come to his village, where he then murdered him in an open field and hid his body in a water hole.

It was later revealed that the killer - a resident of the Palestinian Authority-controlled regions of Judea and Samaria - was working illegally for the restaurant, without the necessary Israeli government permits. 

This incident sparked debate over the security risks of employing illegal Arab workers, with calls to try the restaurant's owner as an accessory to murder over Hazan's murder.