Netanyahu: Incitement and hatred will not stop me from acting on behalf of Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will not be cowed by death threats or calls for violence amid ongoing anti-government protests in a defiant message posted to his social media pages on Friday.

“All the incitement to hatred and calls for murder at leftist rallies will not stop me from acting for you and for our country,” Netanyahu in a brief video Friday.

“After Tisha BéAv, I hope that we can stop these terrible manifestations of hatred, and return to unity as a people and as a state in our common fight against the coronavirus to save lives, and find a livelihood for the citizens of Israel, “he continued.

Tisha BéAv is an annual holiday where observers fast to mark the destruction of Judaism’s two historic temples by the Babylonian and Roman empires in Jerusalem.

At the same time, authorities have opened an investigation into the actions of several “far-right” activists who have violently clashed with the anti-government protesters on Thursday during a demonstration outside of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu called on the police to arrest the culprits but also said the threats against him and his family were also unacceptable.