The Israel Police along with the Shin Bet Security Agency were on Tuesday, investigating death threats made against the family of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
The threats were made in a letter, which contained a live bullet, sent to a member of the Bennett family who resides in the family home in Ra'anana, and not addressed to him directly.
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Security detail outside the home of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
Bennett said in response that political disagreements, no matter how deep, should not turn violent. "We must do everything to make sure that does not happen," he said.
"We are all human beings and can have arguments and disagreements but not bullying and threats. I am a prime minister and a politician but I am also a father and husband and my duty is to protect my wife and children. We must tone the discourse down," he said.
"I call on everyone from all sides of the political spectrum - now is the time for calm and appeasement," Bennett said.
A gag order has been imposed on all information pertaining to the investigation which is conducted by the special crimes unit of the police and the security services.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said threats made against the prime minister's family cross the line and that incitement and violence have resulted in political murders in the past.
"One bullet in a letter can become three fired from a pistol," Gantz said. "I trust the police and security services to apprehend those responsible for the death threat. Even in times of difficult disagreements, we must all remember our strength is in our unity," he said.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the threats made were a sad reminder of how far incitement can lead.
"We will fight the hate speech in the streets, online and everywhere," Lapid said. "They will not scare us. The extremists will not prevail over the sane majority, " he said.
Religion Minister Matan Kahana, a member of Bennett's Yamina party on Monday received a call wishing him dead.
"You garbage bin, I wish that Arabs slaughter you and that your children are left orphaned, you stinking Nazi," the caller said.
Kahana said that Israel has already discovered that words can kill, referring to the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by a right-wing extremist in 1995.
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A sign reads Bennett is a traitor during a right-wing protest after a terror attack in Hadera in March
(Photo: Elior El-Hai)
Last August, a 23-year old resident of the southern city of Ashkelon was arrested after he posted an alleged threat on Bennett's life.
In the post, the man wrote that he is the "death of the prime minister, and that if he had a gun, he would empty its magazine on him.
The post was in relation to the death of an IDF soldier, Barel Hadaria -Shumeli who was killed from a shot to the head at close range, by a Hamas gunman, while on the Gaza border during riots there.
Bennett's security level, as well as his political partner's Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked was increased to the second highest level, even before his government came into power.
Shaked received increased security at the order of the Knesset after threats made against her and Bennett's bolstered security, was decided on by the police.
Since coming into power, the prime minister has raised the ire of political opponents on the right who claimed he deserted the ideology on which he was elected, to form a government with left-wing parties and the Islamist Ra'am party.
Bennett's family made headlines in recent days after a press report that claimed the family had ordered in food costing thousands of Shekels each month.
The Prime Minister's office said in response to claims that it had waisted public funds, insisting that the family home is temporarily used as the Prime Minister's Residence, while the Jerusalem location is undergoing a renovation.
The PMO said the expenses incurred by the family are far lower than those spent by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family, when he was in office, both in the official residence and in Netanyahu's private home in Caesarea.
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The Ra'anana home of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett with guards posted at the gate
(Photo: Uri Davidovitch)
Bennett's office published a complete list of expenses with a comparison to his predecessor, claiming his spending was lower by two million shekel.
Netanyahu in response said food expenses during his term in office were for official dinners and not family meals.
First published: 17:46, 04.26.22