Petah Tikva

Beyond the headlines: Not who we are - opinion

A weekly glimpse into the Israel you won’t read about in the news.

|BySIVAN RAHAV MEIR
People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, who was stabbed and later died of his wounds on the eve of Independence Day, April 25, 2026.
Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, 21, was stabbed in Petah Tikva on Independence Day and later succumbed to his wounds.

Police arrest a total of 16 suspects related to the murder of Yemanu Binyamin Zalka

Two minors and an additional suspect were arrested for their ties to the case. The police claimed to have known their identities and the fact that they participated in the attack against Zalka.

|ByHODAYA RAN
Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, 21, was stabbed in Petah Tikva on Independence Day and later succumbed to his wounds.

Tame the phenomenon: The frightening increase in youth crime needs to be handled - editorial

Study after study has warned that prolonged instability, trauma, isolation, and disrupted schooling harm children’s mental health, weaken belonging, and can surface in violence.

|ByJPOST EDITORIAL
Israeli Police

Petah Tikva teacher sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex offenses against student

Sharon, who was an English teacher at a middle school, committed the offenses over a period of about two years, when the student was between the ages of 12 and 14, according to the prosecution.

|BySARAH BEN-NUN

Pizza Hut to pay family of Petah Tikva stabbing victim indefinitely, company announces

The pizza chain also committed to establishing a dedicated aid fund for the family of 21-year-old Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, killed following his shift at the restaurant's Petah Tikva location.

APRIL 28, 2026ByARIELLA ROITMAN
People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, who was stabbed and later died of his wounds on the eve of Independence Day, April 24, 2026.

Police arrest ninth suspect, another minor, in Independence Day stabbing case

Police further said that two of the suspects were released to house arrest for 12 days, while the detention of six others was extended after they were brought to a court.

APRIL 27, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, who was stabbed and later died of his wounds on the eve of Independence Day, April 27, 2026

'Struggling to process': One person tried to defend Yemanu Zalka during Independence Day eve attack

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended by five days the detention of the main suspect in Zalka's murder, as well as that of three other teenage suspects.

APRIL 27, 2026ByALON HACHMON
People gather outside a Pizza Hut branch in Petah Tikva, lighting candles and placing flowers in memory of employee Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, who was stabbed and later died of his wounds on the eve of Independence Day, April 25, 2026.

Petah Tikva names new sports complex after Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, murdered on Independence Day eve

According to the municipality, the choice of a sports hall is not just a commemoration, but to turn the pain caused by the murder into a lever for a change in consciousness.

APRIL 27, 2026ByHODAYA RAN
Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, 21, was stabbed in Petah Tikva on Independence Day and later succumbed to his wounds.

After week of killings, police chief says some murders ‘impossible to prevent’ as anger grows

Danny Levi's remarks came after one of the bloodiest weeks Israel has seen this year, with a string of killings across Jewish and Arab communities.

APRIL 26, 2026BySARAH BEN-NUN
Newly appointed Police Commissioner Daniel Levi at a ceremony of new appointments and ranks of the Israeli police, at the Ministry of National Security in Jerusalem, on July 4, 2023.

Suspect in Independence Day murder is son of senior figure in defense establishment

Zalka, 21, was killed last Tuesday, and the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Sunday extended the detention of the main suspect in his murder by five days.

APRIL 26, 2026ByHODAYA RAN
Illustration image of handcuffs on the hands of an arrested man, in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025.

Police detain seven minors for Independence Day stabbing of pizzeria worker in Petah Tikva

Recently-released IDF soldier Yemanu Binyamin Zalka was stabbed to death outside the pizzeria after he finished his shift on Independence Day eve.

APRIL 25, 2026ByHODAYA RAN
Israel Police detains six minors linked with the killing of Yemanu Binyamin Zalka.

Pizzeria worker stabbed to death in Petah Tikva after commenting on snow spray on Independence Day

A fatal stabbing of a 21-year-old pizzeria worker in Petah Tikva follows a dispute with teens over snow spray on Independence Day. The worker was critically injured and later died at the hospital.

APRIL 24, 2026ByHODAYA RAN
Yemanu Binyamin Zalka, 21, was stabbed in Petah Tikva on Independence Day and later succumbed to his wounds.

How safe are Israel’s safe rooms? - analysis

Following the tragedies last year in Petah Tikva, the Home Front Command explained that this was an extreme event and that safe rooms cannot withstand direct hits.

MARCH 29, 2026ByARIK MIROVSKY/GLOBES/TNS
An illustrative image of a public safe room in Israel, requiring the ability to climb down a narrow flight of stairs.

PARFOIS opens Petah Tikva store, relocates Azrieli Tel Aviv branch

City Time Israel says the two projects, backed by about NIS 2 million, are part of the brand’s continued expansion in Israel.

MARCH 15, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Parfois