Likud activist, a convicted felon, tells Knesset panel that teens ‘didn’t mean to kill’ pizza worker

Likud party activist and convicted felon Rafi Kedoshim sparked outrage on Monday, telling a Knesset panel meeting on rising youth violence that the teens who ambushed and fatally stabbed pizzeria worker Yemanu Zelka last week “didn’t mean to kill him, just to stab him.”

Kedoshim was addressing a meeting of the Special Committee on the Rights of the Child called to address new data that showed a reversing trend after years of decline in youth violence. It also came amid widespread public horror in the wake of several high-profile murders, including the killing of Zelka, who was ambushed, beaten and stabbed to death by a gang of teens angered that he had asked them not to spray foam in the shop during Independence Day celebrations.

More than a dozen teens have been detained and police continue to hunt for others who were involved in the brutal attack on a main street in view of passersby and security cameras.

Kedoshim’s remarks prompted immediate condemnation from Yesh Atid MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, who accused him of trivializing the violence.

“Absolutely not, take it back. Those kids planned his murder. I am absolutely not ready to accept that statement. It’s a scandalous, trivializing statement,” she said.

Kedoshim later said he would take back his comments “if it would make her happy.”

Kedoshim, who served four prison sentences for acts of violence, kidnapping and extortion, is now a member of the Herzliya city council. His presence at the meeting, held after two stabbings involving minors, also prompted criticism from opposition lawmakers.

“Four months ago the son of Rafi Kedoshim, activist in the mafia organization called the Likud, was arrested for vandalizing the Otello ice cream parlor in Herzliya,” wrote MK Naama Lazimi (The Democrats) on X. “Today, he is invited as a guest to a Knesset discussion on youth violence.”

Opposition lawmakers protested Kedoshim’s invitation to the panel, with some of those present at the hearing saying that committee chair Keti Shitrit, also from Likud, had asked to make room for him in the hearing room, Haaretz reported.

The Democrats MK Gilad Kariv left the discussion due to Kedoshim’s presence. “Violent criminals at the minister’s birthday party are responsible for the police. Violent criminals are in a discussion on the murderous violence among youth. Criminal government. Criminal coalition,” he wrote, referring to a high profile birthday party hosted over the weekend by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Asi Tzakul, cousin of 19-year-old Destao Tzakul who was stabbed to death outside his house in Beersheba last week by teenagers, also spoke in the hearing, saying the legal system treats violent youth with too much leniency.

“Destao was no less likely to be murdered because they are minors. Is the pain of his death less painful because the person who stabbed him is a teenager? The moment someone decides to plan a cold-blooded murder, they have given up the right to be called a child,” he said.

Shitrit said the committee had warned of a deterioration in the situation as early as October 2025.

“We were on the threshold of a severe epidemic — and unfortunately, we are now seeing the results on the ground,” she said. “If we don’t act now, the next murder is just a matter of time.”

Shitrit said she will demand clear answers from government ministries during the emergency hearing, such as whether they have adopted the previous committee’s recommendations, and what is being done in practice to curb the increase in violence.

She also demanded accountability from law enforcement agencies and the police. “Every case will be examined under a magnifying glass,” she said. “We will not relent until we see real change on the ground.”

Avi Ohayon, who heads the youth and family division in Israel Police, said at the hearing that “at the end of 2024, a broad discussion was held with the participation of all relevant parties, in which data was presented according to which there was an apparent decrease in youth crime.”

He added that this indicates less police engagement with youth resulting in less enforcement.

During the meeting officials from the Knesset Research and Information Center presented their findings detailing a sharp rise in juvenile delinquency from 2024 to 2025.

According to the data, a total of 7,752 cases were opened against minors during the 2024-2025 school year, compared to 6,821 during the 2023-2024 school year, which followed a rise from 5,409 cases in 2023-2024.

The total number of offenses in 2024-2025 increased by 22 percent — approximately 21,500 offenses in total, compared to approximately 17,500 offenses in the previous year.

The data also showed that 20% of the offenses in the cases opened against minors in the past year were violent offenses.

The report showed there were 36% were public order offenses, 22% were property offenses, 7% were moral turpitude, 7% were security offenses, 4% were sexual offenses, and 6% were classified as other.

The information was based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), and refers to criminal cases only, Ynet reported.

It does not include data from cases that the Juvenile Probation Service recommended to the police to shelve and convert into treatment.

Last week, police chief Danny Levy announced the launch of a nationwide operation to combat juvenile delinquency and violence by youth gangs.

Increased police forces will begin operating in recreational areas and other public places, particularly in the Tel Aviv District. Law enforcement will also take proactive steps against gangs and other instigators, police said.

The increased presence will be both overt and covert, the force noted.