Netanya Residents Live in Fear Amid Ongoing Threats From Troubled Neighbor

Residents of a residential building in Netanya are enduring constant fear and daily terror from a neighbor struggling with mental health issues. Paz Robinson, a Channel 13 reporter whose elderly parents live in the building, described the neighbor's history of repeated arrests and forced hospitalizations, noting that despite these interventions, the man returns within days to continue threatening the residents. Robinson said the residents’ new reality involves cautiously peering through their door peepholes in fear.

The neighbor’s pattern involves brief detentions or involuntary hospital stays followed by swift releases, after which he resumes his menacing behavior. Robinson recounted a recent incident where the neighbor struck his parents’ door with a metal rod while shouting death threats. Attempts to seek help from authorities have been met with assurances that the matter is being handled, but no one has taken full responsibility.

Another resident, Ilanit Hirsch, shared her own frightening experience when the neighbor entered her unlocked apartment while her 10-year-old daughter was alone inside. The daughter screamed and fled, and Hirsch forced the neighbor out, who then angrily took a drink from her kitchen before leaving. Following this, the family obtained a restraining order but continues to live in fear, reluctant to leave their home. Despite ongoing contact with authorities, the residents’ anxiety persists, with their daily routine now dominated by vigilance through the door peephole.