Man who lit himself on fire last week dies of injuries

Disabled veteran Akiva Mafa’i, 50, had been treated by a social worker and attempted suicide in the past

Akiva Mafa’i, a 50-year-old disabled veteran who set himself on fire near a gas station in Yehud on Sunday last week, died of his injuries on Tuesday night.

Mafa’i, who had been treated at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, suffered severe burns over 80 percent of his body.

He was reportedly known to the state welfare services and was treated by a social worker.

The man’s brother told Ynet News that he had long been frustrated by state bureaucracy and had tried to commit suicide in the past. He also said his brother had threatened to imitate Moshe Silman, who set publicly himself on fire during a social justice protest in Tel Aviv last Saturday.

Since then several people have threatened to light themselves on fire — two on Tuesday alone — but were stopped by passersby.