A Jerusalem police spokesman on erev Shabbos announced efforts are underway to combat a new alarming trend that seems to be spreading to areas of Israel among youths, trying to instill fear in the tzibur by approaching innocent persons wearing a frightening mask. Police in the northern district have detained a 15-year-old male after finding a mask and plastic axe in his possession. His parents were summoned to the station.

In southern Israel, police have detained a 16-year-old male who had a mask and a knife. Here too, he was detained and his parents summoned.

Police call on the tzibur “not to take the law into one’s hand but to summon police if one encounters such a youth”.

The photo shows the mask and real-looking knife confiscated from one suspect.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Jerusalem Police)