A social activist supporting the Zalka family broke into tears before Knesset members on Tuesday, during a special committee hearing on zero tolerance and treatment of youth violence. The session was dedicated to the memory of Yemano, also identified as Benjamin Zalka, who was murdered by teenagers little more than a month ago.
Speaking beside his sister, Yeros Zalka, the activist described what she called the unbearable loneliness of the bereaved parents, especially because they do not speak Hebrew. She said the mother sits alone in court with her son’s photograph and no real help or translation, while the family remains on its own מול the justice system.
“What people in positions of responsibility can help, they ignore or forget,” she told lawmakers, adding, “They murdered what was most precious to them, and they are alone.” She said she does not know the victim or his family personally, and came to the Knesset out of a sense of mission for “the children and grandchildren” of Israel.
The activist urged prosecutors to closely review the handling of the case, calling it a “flagship case” and a “wake-up call for the entire country.” She said the victim had effectively sacrificed himself to force Israeli society to confront violent youth who attack “for nothing,” and she criticized the public tendency to move on after severe violence. She ended by telling ministers and lawmakers to put politics aside and show basic human solidarity until the legal process in the case is completed.
