Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Son Receives Death Threat And Bullet In Mail

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s family has yet again been on the receiving end of another death threat on Thursday, this time addressed to his teenage son. Israeli officials said the leader’s family had received a warning earlier this week, leading police to launch an investigation headed by the Shin Bet and Lahav 433 unit.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the death threat that was sent by mail and personally addressed to Yoni Bennett also contained a bullet in the envelope. The prime minister and his son made a series of condemnations on the political system in light of the threats saying that no political conflict should ever resort to violence, bullying, and death threats. The threats come at a time of political divisions in Israel with Bennett being the target of fierce criticism from right-wing hardliners since he formed his coalition in 2021.

“We need to do everything, as leaders and as citizens whose future and the future of their children are in this country so that such phenomena simply do not happen,” Bennett posted on his social medial account to condemn the continuing threats to his family. “It’s so sad that things like this happen because of incitement,” he tweeted.

Speaking at an event on Wednesday that marks Israel’s Holocaust Memorial Day, Bennett strongly spoke against the country’s polarization. He urged Israelis to stand fast and not let internal divisions tear down their society. While authorities are investigating both threats, not much information has been released on who may have sent them or what was written and included in the letters.

On Thursday, an IDF soldier in training was detained by military police after he had made threatening posts on social media against the prime minister. The soldier posted on the page of Yesh Atid where he commented about inciting violence against the leader. Miltary police did its investigation and after the soldier gave his testimony, he was released with his case transferred to the commanders of his unit. Police said the soldier does not pose any threat as he does not have access to any weapon.

Other than this, police have imposed a gag order on the investigation. Many have been pointing to Jewish extremists citing the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. Rabin was killed by a Jewish ultranationalist who was opposed to the prime minister’s peacemaking stance with the Palestinians.