Peace Now head receives death threats

Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer has been receiving death threats, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday. Police believe the threats against the leader of the left-wing movement were made by extreme right-wing activists. The investigation is ongoing.

Two invective graffiti mentioning Oppenheimer were found on a Tel Aviv wall on Sunday, the first reading "Yariv (the pig), your end is near," and the second reading, "Kahana was right," leading police investigators to probe whether members of the illegal Kach movement are involved in the act.

Oppenheimer has been on the Police Department's list of "threatened personas" – high-profile or public figures who have received death threats – for quite some time.

The fear that he may be targeted increased after the mid-September attack on left-wing Professor Ze'ev Sternhell.

Following the attack on Sternhell, Oppenheimer was briefed by the police, who recommended he remain vigilant.

The Peace Now head filed a formal complaint after learning of the graffiti.

"I've also contacted the threatened personas officer in the Police National Headquarters, as well as several other officers I'm familiar with, and reported the incident," he told the newspaper.

A police canvas conducted in the area where the graffiti were found revealed several other writings, reading "Death to Arabs."

A police source said that the threats made against Oppenheimer were "being taken very seriously," adding that even if those spraying the graffiti meant for no harm to come to him, their words might incite others to do so.