A minor was questioned by police Sunday after allegedly posting a message threatening opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu on Instagram, Hebrew-language media reported.
The minor, whose name and age were not given, commented on a live video broadcast by Netanyahu’s account Thursday warning of an assassination attempt on the Likud leader, according to Channel 12 news.
“In 5 minutes a shooting attack will be directed at Bibi, brace yourselves,” the suspect allegedly wrote, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
The Israeli National Cyber Unit, which operates under the police’s Lahav 433 major crimes division, summoned the commenter for questioning, which was carried out alongside his parents after he was identified as a minor.
He was later released on bail of an unspecified amount. The conditions of the bail were not immediately clear.
Netanyahu has filed several police complaints over threats to harm him and his family, and has taken to campaigning from a protected glass box mounted on a truck, which has been described as an “aquarium,” or a “pope mobile.”
Netanyahu said the Shin Bet security agency had asked him to stand behind protective glass while making scheduled public appearances.
In June, a complaint was filed with police over a death threat made against Netanyahu on Twitter.
“This man should be killed quickly before it is too late,” read the comment, made in response to an article about Netanyahu.
In December, a man was indicted for harassment over a tweet in which he graphically threatened to sexually assault Sara Netanyahu.
Threatening letter sent to the Bennett family in April 2022: ‘This is the bullet that will hit and neutralize your Gilat, the crook, or you Naftali Bennett, the crook, I advise you to resign’ (Courtesy)
Critics accuse the former prime minister and his allies of inciting threats of violence against left-wing politicians and other opponents.
In May, right-wing political activist Ilana Sporta Hania was indicted for sending threatening letters containing bullets to then-prime minister Naftali Bennett, his wife and his teenage son.
Carrie Keller-Lynn contributed to this report.
