Despite its many economic successes, Israel is plagued by an unusual high cost of living relative to wages, making life difficult, especially for young people and recent immigrants. Simona Weinglass writes:

On December 20, a Palestinian waited in a wooded area near a Jewish village in northern Israel in the hope of encountering a victim. Soon enough he spotted Esther Horgan walking home from an evening jog and killed her by beating her with a rock. He later told the police that he did the deed to avenge the death of Kamal Abu Wa’er, a terrorist in Israeli custody. Itamar Marcus explains: