Israel Drops Abuse Case Against Daycare Director Amid Parental Outrage

The State Prosecutor's Office has decided not to indict Ziona Amar, the director of a private daycare in Nehora, who was arrested about 18 months ago on suspicion of physically and emotionally abusing toddlers. The decision was influenced by a Supreme Court ruling that distinguishes between violence used within the scope of childcare and "violence for the sake of violence." Parents, who had equipped their children with recording devices and were exposed to recordings from the daycare, expressed anger at the decision, stating, "She must not be allowed to care for more children."

Amar, 68, who has worked in childcare for decades, was arrested in April 2025 after a parent reported that their son returned from the daycare with an eye injury. Following this incident, parents decided to equip their children with recording devices, which captured Amar cursing and taunting the toddlers. Police also examined security cameras at the daycare, finding evidence of physical abuse. According to the police at the time of the arrest, "At least in some of the videos, the suspicion was strengthened, with the suspect seen attacking one of the children, speaking rudely and cursing." One video reportedly showed physical abuse during feeding, and in another instance, Amar allegedly threw a child onto a bed while trying to put them to sleep.

Amar reportedly took responsibility for some of her actions after being shown the videos. In June 2025, the case was transferred to the prosecution for review, but parents expressed frustration over the prolonged process. One mother, identified as R., stated that her son, then eight months old, was pulled by the arm and had his head slammed into a mattress. She also described Amar aggressively feeding children, forcing their faces open, and calling one child a "witch," shaking her violently and wiping her face aggressively. The recordings from R.'s son included repeated curses from Amar, such as "Your mother's cunt, what retarded children," and "I'll give you a slap that will send you flying," and "Shit child, little idiot."

A key factor in the prosecution's decision was a Supreme Court ruling concerning Ruti Salem, a daycare director in Be'er Sheva convicted of 32 assault charges. The Supreme Court reduced her sentence and overturned significant parts of the conviction, distinguishing between "functional violence," allegedly part of routine daycare operations, and "violence for the sake of violence." The court explained that in a daycare setting, touching children for operational needs, like separating fighting children or seating them for meals, might occur. The ruling stated that not every aggressive touch would necessarily be considered criminal assault, requiring an extreme and clear deviation from accepted conduct to warrant criminalization.

The prosecution stated, "After a thorough review of all the evidence in the case, and in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on the issue, it was found that the evidentiary basis is insufficient to file an indictment, and therefore it was decided to close the case." A Magistrate's Court judge had previously ordered Amar released to house arrest, noting she "took responsibility for some of the incidents and understood the wrongfulness of her actions," while also stating "the severity of the acts should not be underestimated" and distinguishing between "less harmful aggressive behavior" and "malicious abuse for the sake of violence."