Man stabbed to death in synagogue in Bnei Brak in front of his son

Authorities arrest suspect who is said to suffer from mental illness and who reportedly threatened victim after being passed up for ritual honor at prayer service

A man was stabbed to death in Bnei Brak, with the suspected perpetrator arrested three hours later, police said on Wednesday.

The victim, 45-year-old Yishai Por, had been studying with his 13-year-old son in a kollel study hall inside a synagogue in the largely Haredi city, Hebrew outlets reported.

He was taken to the hospital with critical injuries following the attack and later pronounced dead by medical staff there.

Police said a 52-year-old suspect was arrested three hours later in Beit Shemesh and tasked the Dan Precinct’s crime-fighting unit with overseeing the investigation.

According to the i24 news outlet, the suspected perpetrator is a homeless person with a history of mental illness who attended the study hall in recent days and began arguing with the victim over not being called up to the Torah — a ritual honor — during a prayer service.

The suspect threatened to “take care of” the victim, the report said.

Violent crime has soared in Israel in recent years, with government critics blaming National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the Israel Police for failure to tackle the matter. Justice Minister Yariv Levin has also been criticized for refusing to fill dozens of empty judicial posts, hampering enforcement efforts.