Police arrest man suspected of threatening PM Netanyahu

(A7) A young man from Kfar Saba was arrested Saturday evening on suspicion that he left a letter containing threats against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the grave of fallen soldier Yoni Netanyahu on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.

The 26-year-old suspect was arrested by police officers from Lahav 433’s cyber unit, following a joint investigation with the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), approximately one day after the report was received. The suspect will be brought to the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court for an extension of his arrest.

The letter, which was found by workers at Mount Herzl, reads, “The clock is ticking backwards, to the date of the 28th of Tishrei, 5784, when your brother, the son of —– thinks that he will reach the age of 74 – it should be clear that this is a threat of the highest order.”

The letter continued, “Bibi, you are no better than Arik Sharon. Arik Sharon had a stroke and sank into a coma for eight years. To you, I wish worse things. Your tasks are: A. to conquer Gaza, B. to bring back the body of my guide, Hadar Goldin, and the other prisoners. The clock is ticking backwards. You have more than three-and-a-half months left.”

Bibi is PM Netanyahu’s nickname. Tishrei is the first of the Jewish months, and contains the Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (the Festival of Tabernacles).

Last week, a man in his 20s, a resident of the city of Beit Shemesh, was arrested on suspicion of threatening Netanyahu. In that instance, the arrest followed a message written in a WhatsApp group for right-wing activists.

“Everyone should take for himself weapons and hit Bibi with a bullet to the head,” the message read. “Whoever wants to buy a weapons should send [me] a message – that this is on our lives. The law does not interest us.”

Police are investigating the incident.