Netanyahu opens up about ‘flood’ of death threats against him and his family

After Trump assassination attempt, Netanyahu accuses Attorney General of ignoring ‘explicit threats of murder’ against Israeli prime minister, his family, and government ministers.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened up Sunday about the death threats he and his family have faced recently, along with the threats made against members of his government and other public officials.

Speaking at the start of the weekly government meeting Sunday, Netanyahu reflected on what he called the “flood” of threats and incitement against him, his wife, his son, and his ministers following his return to power in December 2022.

“We are witnessing a flood of explicit threats of murder and violence against the Prime Minister and members of his family, and against ministers and public officials,” Netanyahu said.

Comparing incitement against himself and other prominent Israeli figures to Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Netanyahu chided Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara, accusing her and the State Attorney Amit Aisman, of doing “nothing” to prosecute those behind the death threats.

“These are not just flagrant criminal offenses, they constitute a direct and explicit threat to democracy. But basically, apart from a few small exceptions, nothing tangible has been done. I turn to the Attorney General and the State Attorney – this is your job.”

Netanyahu claimed that he, his family, and his government have faced a double-standard in terms of enforcement of laws against incitement and threats, saying that when threats or even acts of violence are “directed against the Right,” the “enforcement is not equal.”

“Basically, against this flood, nothing tangible has been done,” Netanyahu continued, accusing prosecutors of treating violent left-wing protesters differently than those on the Right.

“Then everything is permitted. It is permitted to place grenades, torches, and violently attack the police. It is permitted to block highways with fire. It is permitted, it is permitted, it is permitted. Attacks on democracy are being normalized here. Political murder is being normalized here. We will deal with this next week.”

The prime minister also charged political rivals in the Opposition with largely ignoring the violent rhetoric against him and failing to properly condemn calls for violence and accusations leveled against him of treason.

“It is impossible to make any comparison to this massive flood of explicit threats, which are criminal offenses, that have been met by inaction and by something else – the silence of senior figures.”

“We have not heard condemnations. Condemnations must also be made. But the senior figures do not open their mouths; neither do they condemn. What there is here is the legitimization of attacking democracy and there is the normalization of political murder here, and everyone feels that there is arbitrary enforcement here.”

“We are seeing the writing on the wall. We are seeing the writing in the squares. We are seeing the writing on social media. We all see it. The ministers here at the Government table are saying unanimously: ‘This must be genuinely and equally addressed.’ As of now, this has not yet happened.”

AssassinationBenjamin Netanyahudeath threats