Hitchhiking in Israel has been the source of political tension and has sometimes resulted in incident. Most notably in 2014, three Israeli teenagers were abducted whilst hitchhiking and found deceased soon after. Following the event, there was increased hostilities between Jewish and Arab communities. Critics blame the event on the "cavalier" attitude of young Israelis hitchhikers. Further, some journalists have observed that some Israelis insist on hitchhiking as a demonstration of their freedom and right to travel. Despite tensions and events of violence, many insist on hitchhiking and affirm its institutional role in Israeli society.