Reservist Says Teen Pulled Knife on Him Outside His Home in Petah Tikva and Fled on a Scooter

Reservist Daniel Yehuda, who lives in the Hadar Ganim neighborhood of Petah Tikva, says he was threatened last Friday afternoon shortly after returning from a basketball game. According to his account, he noticed a suspicious young man near the entrance of his apartment building and approached him to ask what he was doing.

Yehuda said the teenager refused to stop and suddenly pulled out a folding knife in what he described as a frighteningly skilled move. He threw down the items in his hands and shouted, "I have a weapon, stop." The suspect, whom Yehuda estimated to be 16 or 17 years old, then fled the scene on a scooter.

Yehuda said he could not record the incident because his phone was packed in a bag. He contacted police soon afterward, but he said it took about half an hour before someone got back to him to take the details. He said the encounter left him feeling unsafe near his home and worried for his wife, children, and other families in the area.

Speaking to Maariv, Yehuda said, "You live in a beautiful, quiet neighborhood, you want to be part of a community, nothing more, and I am also the building committee chairman, and suddenly someone pulls a knife on you and threatens your life. Right away you think of the murder of Yemanu Zalka about a month ago, and that is infuriating. Where have we come to?" He added, "They are used to attacking and escaping and more has to be done," and said he believed he might have ended up like Zalka had the situation been different.