Police say they have detained two American teenagers suspected of throwing a cat off a fifth-story balcony in Jerusalem.
The pair, US nationals aged 16 and 17, are in Israel as part of a summer program at a yeshiva in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, police say.
Police brought both in for questioning earlier today on suspicion of involvement in the act, after notifying the program’s supervisors.
The incident was filmed and spread on social media. In the video, shot at night, a group of teenagers are seen egging on one of their friends as he holds a cat with both hands near the balcony railing.
One of the boys shouts “Do it, do it!” The teenager then throws the cat off the building as his friends cheer.
This is the second time in the past year that police have arrested teenage boys for gleefully hurling a cat to its death, then posting footage of the act online.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
