Family of Murdered Leah Malka Accuses Police of Negligence Amid Threats

The Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality held a tense session focused on combating violence against women, centering on the murder of Leah Malka. Leah, 35, was killed in early June when a half-kilogram explosive device detonated in her car on the Ayalon Highway, leaving behind a two-year-old daughter.

During the hearing, Leah's family revealed that she had received 157 threatening messages from her ex-partner in the months before her death, including 95 messages in a single evening. Despite repeated appeals for police protection, the family claims their warnings were ignored. Leah’s father, Yaakov Malka, described how police were initially unresponsive when he tried to file a complaint on a Friday evening, with the station reportedly deserted and only one investigator eventually taking his statement after hours of waiting. He accused the police of bearing responsibility for his daughter's death, stating, "Your hands are stained with her blood. This should have been prevented."

Leah’s mother, Yehudit Malka, a retired police officer, also criticized the police response, recounting how the family filed complaints but saw no action, and how Leah was once asked to bring her young daughter to the station late at night despite the child being asleep.

Police representative Superintendent Anat Yakir Blum expressed condolences but acknowledged that an internal review of the handling of Leah’s case at the Rishon Lezion station had been ordered, contradicting earlier claims of flawless police work. The prosecution stated the murder investigation is ongoing and emphasized that if sufficient evidence is found, they will seek severe charges including life imprisonment.

It was also revealed that the suspect was released to house arrest and that charges related to the threatening messages were only filed after Leah’s murder. The family continues to feel threatened and remains vigilant. Committee Chairwoman Merav Cohen called for the case to serve as a turning point, stressing the need for the state to act decisively to prevent future murders, not just acknowledge warning signs after the fact.