Man arrested, questioned on suspicion of incitement to Netanyahu’s murder

A man was arrested Wednesday and questioned on suspicion of inciting violence against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in online posts.

The Israel Police said in a statement that the 63-year-old resident of Ramat Gan was being questioned at the offices of the police’s cyber division in the Lahav 433 special crimes unit.

According to the Makor Rishon news site, the detainee has posted many strongly  worded comments on Twitter, mainly in response to right-wing supporters of the government’s plan to radically overhaul the justice system, which has drawn intense criticism from public figures and intensifying mass protests.

In one comment to businessman Ilan Shiloach, who had warned against violence as part of the anti-government protests, the man commented: “I think [violence] is permitted. The prime minister is a criminal. Whoever tries to turn the State of Israel into a dictatorship is worthy of death.”

In a separate post responding to former IDF spokesperson Avi Benayahu, the man wrote: “Will we just sit and watch our country become a dictatorship by a contemptible person indicted for bribery who strives to gain control of all the state’s institutions?… This terrible person is worthy of death… There will be no dictatorship here. If the conman dares [to try] — he will cease to be.”

Responding to Minister Orit Strock, he called her a “witch” and warned that passing the overhaul would “open the gates of hell.” He added: “We will die rather than let you turn Israel into a dictatorship, you have been warned.”