Video calls for legal official's murder
Film distributed on Web against Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan following his request from police to probe anti-Arab incitement on Facebook. Police launch investigation; Nitzan may get bodyguards. Rightist groups condemn video, but suggest it may be 'leftist provocation'
According to Israel Radio, the address of the person who sent the video impersonates that of the justice minister. The video concludes with the slogan "Kahane was right", referring to slain right-wing leader Rabbi Meir Kahane.
"Instead of defending the people of Israel from the Arabs, he covers up for them and cooperates with them against the Jews," the slides say in red letters on a black background.
The video also claims that Nitzan "persecutes Jews and harasses Jews. He defends Arabs and cooperates with them."
The film's editors call on the deputy state prosecutor, "Shai Nitzan, you better wake up, quickly! You should pay attention that the Arabs, not the Jews, are the enemies of the people of Israel." They also call for the murder of Arabs, left-wing activists and Israel's enemies.
The film's distributors complain that Nitzan called recently for an investigation into incitement against Arabs on the Facebook social network on suspicion of incitement to racism. The State Prosecutor's Office asked the police to appeal to Facebook to remove the abusive publications.
"Shai Nitzan is now ordered to investigate those who call for his murder as well," the video's editors say.
Ynet has learned that the police and Justice Ministry are considering giving Nitzan a personal bodyguard and stationing guards around his house.
Commander Yoav Segalovich, head of the police's investigation department, instructed the International Investigations Unit to find the person behind the video calling for Nitzan's murder.
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and State Prosecutor Moshe Lador issued a joint statement supporting Nitzan. "The distribution of the clip is yet another negative record in the serious phenomenon of incitement against public servants, who are fulfilling their duties in a professional manner.
"The police have launched an investigation into the incident with the help of the relevant security elements. The attorney general plans to follow the investigation closely. We hope that those responsible for this serious incident will be located as soon as possible and brought to trial."
The office of Justice Minister Yaakov Ne'eman asked to clarify that the video did not originate from the minister's email address. "The remarks made in the message are extremely severe and we condemn them. The justice minister's office has handed the material to the Justice Ministry's security department and has filed an official complaint to the Israel Police and other law enforcement elements."
Right urges probe
The incitement against Attorney Nitzan was also condemned by right-wing groups. The "Yesha Human Rights Organization" called for an investigation against the people behind the video.
"There is no, and can be no, justification for murder. The justified criticism against Attorney Nitzan's selective enforcement activity and discriminating decisions does not justify, in any way, a call for any type of violence, all the more so murder."
The organization stressed, however, that "the sick and dangerous call for murder has yet to be probed, and it's unclear who is behind it. It should not prevent the voicing of legitimate criticism against Attorney Nitzan's legal methods, and must not serve as a basis for incitement against an entire public which shares the criticism but strictly opposes incitement and violence."
The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel suggested that the move may have been planned by the Left in a bid to degrade the Right. "Despite our serious dispute with Nitzan's treatment of the settlements, we must not accept death threats, whether they come from a violent element from the Right or as an act of provocation from the Left."
Nitzan asked the police to launch an investigation against two Facebook groups. The first one, "Death to all Arabs," has 170 members and includes explicit calls for violence against Arabs. "They should be murdered one after the other" and "a good Arab equals a dead Arab" are only some of the posts on the group's wall.
The second group was founded ahead of a right-wing rally in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. Its members posted statements suspected as incitement to racism and offensive anti-Islam quotes, including "death to Arabs" and "Muhammad is a pig".
Yair Altman and Kobi Nahshoni contributed to this report
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