A Knesset committee session on zero tolerance and treatment of youth violence turned emotional on Tuesday when a social activist accompanying the Zalka family burst into tears while speaking about the loneliness of Yemano Zalka’s mother in court. The special committee for the Rights of the Child dedicated the hearing to the memory of Yemano, also called Benjamin Zalka, who was murdered by teenagers in a violent incident little more than a month ago.
Speaking beside Yeros Zalka, Yemano’s sister, the activist said the parents, who do not speak Hebrew, are left without proper help or translation in the legal system. She described the mother sitting alone in court, holding her son’s photo and unable to stand after hearings, and accused officials of ignoring the family’s suffering despite having the power to help.
She told lawmakers that she came to the Knesset not because she knew the family personally, but out of a sense of duty to future children and grandchildren in Israel. “People want to keep living here normally,” she said, but added that many treat the killing as just another sad incident and move on too quickly. She called on the State Prosecutor’s Office to examine the handling of the case closely, describing it as a “flagship case” and a wake-up call for the country.
The activist also argued that Yemano “sacrificed himself” to push Israeli society to confront violent youth, saying the attack was carried out for “nothing.” She urged mothers, ministers, and lawmakers to put politics aside and provide basic human solidarity, insisting that the case needs constant scrutiny until the legal proceedings end.
