Beit Shemesh man held for discussing ‘opportunity to put a bullet in Bibi’s head’
Resident made the comment in a Whatsapp group focused on gun ownership following deadly West Bank terror attack; judges grant him conditional release
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
A man was arrested Thursday for writing what were allegedly threatening messages against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a WhatsApp group opened after a deadly terrorist shooting attack in the West Bank settlement of Eli. in which four Israelis were killed.
Discussions in the group, named “Hour of War” and with hundreds of members, revolved around gun ownership for civilians. One of the Palestinian gunmen who carried out the attack was shot by an armed settlement security officer at the scene.
Police said the 23-year-old suspect, a resident of Beit Shemesh, wrote on Tuesday: “Everyone should carry a weapon with them. Then there will be a gun for everyone and an opportunity to put a bullet in Bibi’s head,” using the premier’s nickname.
“Whoever wants to buy a gun send me a message. When it’s about your life you don’t need a license. We don’t care about the law,” he added.
The suspect attended a hearing at the Beit Shemesh Magistrate’s Court on Friday where judges denied a police request to extend his custody and instead granted him conditional release.
However, the judge said it was reasonable to believe that the suspect aimed to carry out a violent crime.
The police investigation is ongoing.
