Tame the phenomenon: The frightening increase in youth crime needs to be handled - editorial

The brutal murder of Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, a young man senselessly killed by teenagers outside his workplace, is a stark and horrifying symptom of a deeper malaise affecting Israeli society. As journalists at The Jerusalem Post, we feel compelled to look beyond the immediate shock and demand accountability not just from the perpetrators, but from ourselves and the systems that have failed these children.

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He was 21 years old, recently released from the IDF, and working a shift at a Pizza Hut in Petah Tikva on the eve of Independence Day.

While the police are right to pursue the suspects, their assertion that some murders are sudden, eruptive events is a dangerous oversimplification. This was not a random act of violence; it was the culmination of years of neglect. The state has been absent, allowing trauma, instability, and a pervasive sense of rage to fester among our youth, exacerbated by the relentless challenges our nation has faced – from the pandemic to the horrors of October 7th and the ongoing war.

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The suspects are children.

Western media often focuses on the security implications of such events, viewing them through a purely law-and-order lens. But here in Israel, we understand that this is also a profound social and psychological crisis. The public sphere has, inadvertently or not, taught our children that rage is a valid language. This is not an excuse for violence, but an explanation that demands a more comprehensive response than mere slogans. We must invest in education, welfare, and mental health support, recognizing that a "war on youth crime" must be fought not just in the courts, but in the hearts and minds of our children.

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A young man went to work and did not come home.