Scary Clowns Come To Israel As ‘It’-Inspired Trend Spreads

By Daniel J. Solomon October 3, 2017

As the re-make of the Stephen King work “It” hits the movie-screen, some Israeli teens are taking a cue from the film and dressing up as clowns to frighten passers-by.

The Israeli police have detained 15 Israeli children and teens – some of them under the age of 12 – who were donning the costumes and surprising passers-by. Under Israeli law, such activity is illegal – and the police have urged citizens to report such activity.

“The frightening act and intention behind it is usually not to injure or harm the person or their property. In most situations, the best option is to distance oneself from the area and to report the event to police as quickly as possible,” the police said in a statement.

The clowning trend has gone viral on social media, with people around the world posting video of their going out in public as clown on Twitter and Facebook.

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

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