Israeli restaurants hire private guards
Israeli restaurateurs are turning to private security firms in an effort to protect their customers from Palestinian suicide bombers.
Restaurants and hotels have been prime targets for the bombers, because they are easy to get into and hard to police.
The attack a fortnight ago on the Park hotel in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, which killed 19 Israelis as they gathered to celebrate Passover, prompted Paz Nisim, owner of the 100-seat Bambili Paz Internet café in the city, to hire guards.
He said: "All the restaurants now have special security people. It is not great to have to go into a restaurant and see bodyguards waiting around, but what choice do we have?"
The café uses between one and two security guards, an extra cost that has so far been borne by the restaurant. "The government has said we must take care of it," Nisim added.
At the 180-seat Darna restaurant in Jerusalem, manager Mikhil Cohen said guards had been hired since the bombings started last summer.
She said: "We have someone who keeps an eye on everybody who walks in. We have not had to bring up our prices, but most of the smaller coffee shops and cafés are taking more for each portion."
With security guards costing as much as £10 to £14 an hour, some caf‚s are charging an extra two shekels (about 15p) for a cake and coffee.
by Nic Paton
