Friend of Jerusalem Teen Benyahu Razi Describes Trauma After Fatal Stabbing

Benyahu Razi, a 19-year-old from Givat Ze'ev, was fatally stabbed earlier this month in an Airbnb apartment in the Nahalat neighborhood of Jerusalem. His close friend, Matanya, who was with him during the attack and tried to save his life, was also assaulted. In his first interview since the incident, Matanya recounted the events leading up to the murder and shared the severe trauma he is enduring. He described Razi as more than a brother and expressed the helplessness he felt as he watched his friend’s condition worsen.

According to the indictment, Razi’s 19-year-old girlfriend, Agam Tzarfati, and her friend Shilat Huta, also 19, left the apartment claiming that Razi and Matanya had been violent toward them. They then went to Linor Shason, mother of the main suspect, Aviaor Shason, and four minors, telling them about the incident and expressing intent to "finish him off." The group armed themselves with various weapons including knives, a folding baton, razors, and a hammer.

The minors, accompanied by Huta, returned to the apartment under the pretense of reconciliation. Matanya sensed something was wrong but did not expect it to end in murder. Police investigations revealed that the suspects surrounded Razi in an inner room, attacked him fatally, and even threw chairs at his body after he died. Huta recorded the murder live and sent the footage to Tzarfati and Shason waiting nearby.

Police officers described the suspects’ calm demeanor during arrest and interrogation, noting a lack of remorse. Tzarfati appeared unusually composed and even laughed upon hearing of Razi’s death. Aviaor Shason, arrested after a two-and-a-half-week manhunt, was described as a cold and experienced criminal.

Matanya, still recovering physically and emotionally, urged the suspects to reflect on their actions, questioning whether killing someone over fabricated claims was ever justified. The investigation continues, with indictments filed against the four minors involved in the murder.