Netanyahu vows action after ‘heinous’ Petah Tikvah killing, condemns ‘wild incitement’ that followed

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns the killing of 21-year-old Pizza Hut worker Yemanu Binyamin Zelka, calling the stabbing in Petah Tikva a “heinous murder” and vowing action at both the law enforcement and educational levels.

“I was shocked by the heinous murder in Petah Tikva,” Netanyahu says at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting, adding that he will meet with Education Minister Yoav Kisch and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to address the incident.

“The law must be fully applied to the murderers,” he says, adding that “it must be instilled in classrooms and in homes, by teachers and parents, that this is a criminal act that must be denounced.”

Zelka was stabbed to death on Independence Day after reportedly asking a group of teenagers not to spray party foam inside the restaurant. Eight teens have been arrested in connection with the killing.

Netanyahu also warns against what he describes as “wild incitement” that followed the attack.

“This is something we cannot accept. We must stop it and uproot it while it is still small,” he says.

His remarks appear to reference public outrage following the killing, with hundreds gathering outside the Petah Tikva eatery yesterday to demand stronger police action and chanting, “Ben Gvir, wake up.”