Minors in Israel are being recruited into criminal gangs at an increasing rate, with police detention of juveniles rising by approximately 23% annually and indictments rising by around 27% annually, N12 News reported on Thursday.
Minor arrests and indictments rising sharply in Israel as gangs recruit teenagers, police say
Minors in Israel are being recruited into criminal gangs at an increasing rate, with police detention of juveniles rising by approximately 23% annually and indictments rising by around 27% annually, N12 News reported on Thursday.
According to N12, adult gang members deliberately exploit minors' willingness to participate in criminal activity in exchange for modest rewards — including restaurant meals, entertainment, hotel stays, and amounts described as a few thousand shekels. Police investigators told N12 that younger gang members are less likely to be recognized by police, can carry out gang activity with less scrutiny, and are more likely to be the ones caught if an operation fails, leaving adult members in the background.
Investigators described a shift in how detained minors behave during questioning. Where police previously expected juveniles to become frightened and provide information quickly, investigators told N12 they now routinely encounter 14- and 15-year-olds who stay silent or give near-identical accounts. 'There used to be a perception that you would stop a child, separate him from his friends, and he would panic and tell everything,' investigators said. 'Today you can find yourself with several 14- or 15-year-old boys who know exactly what happened, and they all remain silent or tell you almost the same thing: I don't know, I didn't see, I didn't hear.'
A senior investigator quoted by N12 said: 'You see a middle school student in front of you, but sometimes it feels like you are sitting in front of the head of a criminal organization. The level of sophistication, the silence, the lack of cooperation. He knows what not to say; he knows not to bring his friends into the incident. He knows when to shut up. Sometimes you talk to him about a shocking act, and there is no mercy, no conscience.'
Police said the issues surfaced prominently during the investigation into the stabbing death of 19-year-old Benayahu Razi, who was killed in a Jerusalem Airbnb in July. That investigation resulted in charges of murder and aggravated assault against two young adults and four minors aged approximately 15 to 17.
- The source does not state the absolute number of minor detentions or indictments, only the percentage change figures.
- The source does not specify the time period over which the 23% and 27% annual increases were measured or the baseline year.
- The source does not state which Israeli police or government body compiled the detention and indictment statistics.
- The source does not include a response or statement from any juvenile justice authority, social welfare body, or legal representative of the minors involved.
- The source does not specify the ages of the two young adults charged in the Benayahu Razi case, nor the precise charges against each individual defendant.
- The source does not explain what, if any, policy or legislative responses Israeli authorities are considering in response to the reported trend.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post