Jerusalem, 30 August, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Popular Israeli singer Yehuda Poliker helped prevent a tragedy late Saturday night, persuading a man threatening to jump from a high-rise rooftop to come down safely.
The resident climbed onto the roof of a residential building in central Israel and threatened suicide. Large police forces from the Lev Tel Aviv station, part of the Yarkon District, were called to secure the scene and negotiate with him.
Police negotiators soon learned that the man had one condition: “The only person who can stop me from jumping is Yehuda Poliker.”
Realizing Poliker might be the only person who could prevent the man from jumping, officers rushed to the singer’s home and woke him. Poliker agreed to speak with the man by phone and, after several minutes, persuaded him to come down.
Poliker, 76, is one of Israel’s best-known singers and musicians. He has released 15 albums since 1985 and has received major honors in Israel and Greece, including an honorary doctorate from Hebrew University in 2025.