A shortage of replacement car parts resulting from COVID supply chain issues was a contributing factor to the 43% rise in car thefts in Israel in 2021, an 8% increase compared to 2020, according to a new study by the car tracking company Ituran.
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The study reports that jeeps and mini-jeeps accounted for 40% of the cars stolen in Israel this past year.
According to Ituran, car thieves operating in 2021 mostly drove stolen vehicle through breaches in the security barrier between Israel and the West Bank. The cites Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tulkarem, located close to central Israel, served as frequent getaway destinations.
The greater Tel Aviv area saw the most car thefts in 2021, accounting for 34% of incidents. Another 30% of cars stolen in 2021 were taken from the Sharon region, followed by 12% in southern Israel, 8% in the coastal plain region, 7% in northern Israel, 6% in Jerusalem, and 3% in Judea and Samaria.
The Ituran study noted that in 21% of car thefts in 2021, the thief had a key. In 32%, the thief tried to break into the car, whereas in 29% the thief tried to hack the car's computer system. In another 8% of the cases, the thieves tried to tow the vehicles or load them onto trucks. In 7% of cases the method used was unclear.
