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Israel: increased security for Benny Gantz after 'credible' death threats | Israel: increased security for Benny Gantz after 'credible' death threats |
(32 minutes later) | |
Parliament strengthens security detail for Netanyahu’s main electoral challenger | Parliament strengthens security detail for Netanyahu’s main electoral challenger |
Israel’s parliament has beefed up the security detail protecting Benny Gantz, the main electoral challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu, after deeming various death threats against him to be credible. | |
The threats came after last week’s volatile and inconclusive election, in which Netanyahu, the prime minister, was unable to capture the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. | The threats came after last week’s volatile and inconclusive election, in which Netanyahu, the prime minister, was unable to capture the parliamentary majority needed to form a government. |
Gantz revealed that a man tried to assault him on Saturday evening as he arrived at a speaking engagement, and that Netanyahu supporters had been threatening him online. One post called for Gantz to be murdered like former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish ultra-nationalist in 1995. Another portrayed him and his fellow party leaders in Arab headdress, similar to images that circulated of Rabin before he was killed. | |
In his comments, Gantz vowed to unseat Netanyahu with more worthy leadership and told the prime minister to tamp down his divisive rhetoric before it was too late. “Netanyahu: The public atmosphere and the threats worry every national leader,” he said. “The incitement is raging everywhere and you are silent. | |
“I won’t allow you to sow fear. I won’t allow you to turn man against his brother. I won’t allow you to bring about modern Israel’s first civil war in return for a ticket out of your trial. Your regime has trampled all norms.” | “I won’t allow you to sow fear. I won’t allow you to turn man against his brother. I won’t allow you to bring about modern Israel’s first civil war in return for a ticket out of your trial. Your regime has trampled all norms.” |
Netanyahu is scheduled to go on trial next week to face corruption charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Israel’s longest-serving leader is desperate to remain in office, because installing a new government would give him an important political boost and potentially allow him to legislate his way out of the legal quagmire. | Netanyahu is scheduled to go on trial next week to face corruption charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Israel’s longest-serving leader is desperate to remain in office, because installing a new government would give him an important political boost and potentially allow him to legislate his way out of the legal quagmire. |
On Monday, Amit Hadad, one of Netanyahu’s lawyers, said he would seek a delay to the start of the trial. He said the request was “technical” and meant to give the defence time to review investigative materials that it had not yet received. | On Monday, Amit Hadad, one of Netanyahu’s lawyers, said he would seek a delay to the start of the trial. He said the request was “technical” and meant to give the defence time to review investigative materials that it had not yet received. |
Initial exit polls after Monday’s election had indicated Netanyahu’s Likud party and smaller religious and nationalist allies may be able to eke out a razor-thin edge in parliament. But when the last votes were counted on Thursday, final results showed Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc capturing just 58 seats, short of the 61-seat majority required to form a new government. | Initial exit polls after Monday’s election had indicated Netanyahu’s Likud party and smaller religious and nationalist allies may be able to eke out a razor-thin edge in parliament. But when the last votes were counted on Thursday, final results showed Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc capturing just 58 seats, short of the 61-seat majority required to form a new government. |
A defiant Netanyahu still insists he has emerged as the winner, and accused his opponents of trying to “steal the elections” by aligning with Arab-led parties he claimed were hostile to the state. “I promise you, I am not going anywhere,” Netanyahu told supporters on Saturday. | A defiant Netanyahu still insists he has emerged as the winner, and accused his opponents of trying to “steal the elections” by aligning with Arab-led parties he claimed were hostile to the state. “I promise you, I am not going anywhere,” Netanyahu told supporters on Saturday. |
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