Right-wing activist arrested for online threats, reportedly against Bennett
Jewish suspect allegedly incited to violence, spread hateful messages via social media
A far-right Jewish activist was arrested Thursday on suspicion of inciting violence on social media, police said, with reports indicating he had threatened the life of Education Minister Naftali Bennett.
The suspect, 22, is a resident of a community near Jerusalem and a police statement described him as a “Jewish right wing activist.”
He was accused of posting several messages on Facebook and WhatsApp that could be considered “crimes of incitement to violence and threats.”
The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered he be kept in custody until Sunday at a remand hearing Thursday.
Among other hateful messages, the man is suspected of having made threats to kill Bennett of the Jewish Home party, according to reports carried by Hebrew media.
On Monday Bennett, whose party is considered the political home for much of the settlement movement, was given additional security following threats from far-right activists ahead of the planned evacuation of the West Bank outpost of Amona.
Bennett was given two bodyguards and an armored vehicle from the Shin Bet domestic security service, which will accompany him in the weeks leading up to the demolition of the outpost which must take place by next Saturday, the Hebrew-language news website Walla reported.
The increased security measures, which Bennett’s office confirmed, were made in light of threatening messages obtained by Walla, in which far-right activists accuse Bennett of “betrayal” and “selling out the settlers” and vow to violently resist Amona’s evacuation.
Security forces are preparing for violent resistance to Amona’s evacuation after residents on Wednesday rejected a deal proposed by Bennett for them to leave their homes peacefully in return for being able to move to a plot of land adjacent to the current settlement.
Amona is the largest of about 100 unauthorized outposts — erected without permission but generally tolerated by the government — that dot the West Bank. In December 2014, after multiple appeals and delays, the court ordered that the outpost be evacuated within two years, or no later than December 25 of this year.
Raoul Wootliff contributed to this report.