Israel dismisses report of foiled plot to assassinate Netanyahu in Kenya
‘Nonsense,’ says Prime Minister’s Office of Kuwaiti paper’s claim that explosive device was found on PM’s route and 2 suspects were arrested
The Prime Minister’s office on Thursday dismissed as “absolute nonsense” a report in a Kuwaiti daily that claimed Kenyan security authorities foiled an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his trip to Kenya earlier this week.
Asked about the report, Netanyahu himself said Thursday that he knew nothing about it, Channel 2 reported. Army Radio said he too called it nonsense.
The Kuwaiti paper, Al-Jarida, quoted an anonymous, ostensibly well-placed source saying that the Kenyan authorities ordered a change in the route taken by Netanyahu and his delegation from Nairobi airport to their hotel on Tuesday. An explosive device was found on the original route, and two were suspects arrested, the report said, adding that the Kenyan authorities had placed a gag order on further details of the alleged incident.
Dismissing the report, Netanyahu’s aides also told Army Radio in Ethiopia that the prime minister’s route in Nairobi was not changed.
Netanyahu visited Kenya on Tuesday on the second stop of a four-nation African trip that also took him to Uganda, Rwanda and, on Thursday, Ethiopia.
