Rabbi Yigal Cohen Condemns Education System After Petach Tikva Murder

In his weekly Torah lecture in Petach Tikva, HaGaon Rabbi Yigal Cohen, head of the Yevie Omer institutions and member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, delivered a scathing condemnation of Israel's education system following the brutal murder of 21-year-old Binyamin Zalka in the city.

The tragic incident, which occurred on Independence Day evening, began when Zalka, a shift manager at a Pizza Hut in Kfar Ganim, asked a group of teenagers to stop spraying snow spray inside the restaurant. The youths later ambushed him after he finished his shift, launching a violent assault that ended with him being stabbed and left bleeding on the street. He succumbed to his injuries Thursday evening.

"Ten Against One - This Isn't Even Fighting"

"Unfortunately, a Jew was murdered in cold blood here in Petach Tikva," Rabbi Cohen stated during his lecture. "A young man, a boy, whose only crime was that he apparently made a comment to them about spraying snow spray. What great sin did he commit by making a remark to them? They apparently held a grudge and came there."

The rabbi expressed particular outrage at the nature of the attack, which video footage revealed involved approximately ten assailants against a single victim. "What I understand now from the videos is that it was ten 'brave' boys, ten against one. When I was a child, there were also fights, there were neighborhood gangs, but it was one-on-one, not ten against one," he emphasized. "If you're a man, if you're such a great hero, such a strong person, come one-on-one. Why do you come ten against one? Today they don't even know how to fight - they come ten against one, and he pulls out a knife."

Systemic Failure in Education

Rabbi Cohen directed his criticism at what he characterized as fundamental failures in Israel's educational framework. "You're waking up to this because of a murder - I've been waking up to this for years," he asserted. "What kind of education system do we have here at all? Is there education here? Education for what? Come teach me, teach me what kind of education."

The rabbi questioned whether basic moral principles are being taught in schools. "Do they teach them 'Thou shalt not murder'? Until now, it's been forbidden to mention that. Do they teach them 'Thou shalt not steal'?" he asked rhetorically.

Addressing the weapon used in the attack, Rabbi Cohen posed a pointed question: "Why does a child, can you explain to me, why does a child walk around with a knife? So he cut his leg - and by chance he cut the main artery. What is this stupidity? Why does he need a knife? What are you carrying a knife for? Why have we reached a situation where a child needs to carry a knife?"

The rabbi concluded with a sweeping indictment of the current educational establishment. "This is a combination of several things," he stated. "It's a corrupt education system that was placed in the hands of malicious and wicked people who don't have a drop of fear of Heaven."

Invoking the words of Avraham Avinu, Rabbi Cohen noted: "Listen carefully - Avraham our forefather said, 'If there is no fear of God in this place, they will kill me.'"

The murder has sparked widespread outrage in Petach Tikva, with residents demanding immediate action to address escalating youth violence in the area.