Ben Gvir claims he has seen intelligence reports indicating potential assassination attempts upon himself, Netanyahu
Unnamed police officials say they are unaware of such reports
Speaking on Israel television on Monday, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he had been informed of death threats made against him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the prime minister’s wife, Sara Netanyahu. Ben Gvir stated that he had read “intelligence materials” to this effect.
While making it clear that the majority of protestors against the judicial overhaul were neither violent nor threatening violence, Ben Gvir said that some in the massive crowds had indeed made death threats:
“Most of them are good people, but among them are those planning the next political murder, who say ‘you have to kill Ben Gvir, Sara Netanyahu, to murder Benjamin Netanyahu,'” the far-right national security minister said.
“I see the intelligence assessments," he added and went on to criticize “leftist anarchists who some time ago crossed the red line.”
Israeli Kan TV network reported that an anonymous, high-level Israeli police official said he was unaware of the intelligence evidence Ben Gvir claims to have seen.
In response, Ben Gvir’s office released a statement, doubling down on his original comments.
“Ben Gvir is not taking back his comments from the morning,” the statement reads. “He is scared of a political murder and sees it in the intelligence reports. It's not surprising that those who denied it are hiding behind aliases or behind the word 'officials.' This is because they, exactly like Ben Gvir, know that there is material pointing to a rise in the level of incitement. Political murder has become a realistic option considering what is going on in the country, and Ben Gvir is very worried."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Ben Gvir of lying, saying that he “invented 'intelligence materials' that do not exist. This is not only ridiculous, it is also dangerous."
Protests in Israel against the coalition’s judicial reforms entered their ninth consecutive week this past weekend, as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets nationwide to express their concerns over the government’s continued push to restrict the power of the judiciary.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
