Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) director Nadav Argaman on Sunday for issuing a rare public warning sounding alarm bells that the current atmosphere of incitement could lead to bloodshed.
Argaman had condemned on Saturday any language that may be perceived as "one that endorses violent and illegal activities which could even lead to harm to individuals.”
Without mentioning the Shin Bet head who he appointed by name, Netanyahu complained of a double standard in which critical statements by figures on the Right are considered incitement, while those of the Left are seen as legitimate.
"Incitement is a call for violence," he said. "For a long time, there have been such horrible calls, including clear calls to murder me and my family that have been met with silence in the public discourse and in the press."
Immediately after, he said that "people feel cheated" and are responding to that feeling towards the incoming coalition, and they "must not be shut up.
"Do not be afraid to stick it to them," he said. "It is part of the scam. Do not be afraid to tell the truth."
Later in the evening, he criticized those who opposed his commentary and said that he was inciting violence, saying that it is "ridiculous political correctness."
"The Black Flags that are funded by all the left-wing organizations in Israel and abroad... call for my death and the death of my wife and my children," he said. "Criticism from the right is seen as incitement. Rabbi Druckman's letter is a letter for violence? That's a joke. But every criticism of the left, even when it calls for death, is seen as legitimate."
He further criticized Netanyahu for telling his supporters "not to be afraid to stick it to them."
"'Stick it to them' is to harass an MK in her car and her kids on their way from school," he said. "It's getting people fired. It's swearing and threatening."
"Not all opposition to the government is incitement," Bennett said in response to Netanyahu's remarks. "In my years in politics, I've learned that leaders must be able to handle criticism. But there is a fine line between criticism and worrisome behavior. Over the last several weeks, there has been a well funded, managed campaign to pressure Yamina and New Hope MKs and break them, to get them to vote against a new government. In this effort, all means are kosher."
This comes as the Knesset's serjeant-at-arms announced on Sunday that Yamina MKs Nir Orbach and Idit Silman will be receiving security details amid a wave of threats to the two MKs who had been teetering between voting in support of or against the new coalition led by Yamina head Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid.
Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked has also been assigned a security detail and since last week, the Shin Bet has provided Bennett with a full prime-ministerial-level security detail.
Silman announced that she would be supporting the "change bloc" in forming a coalition with center- and left-wing parties. Orbach has yet to formally announce his decision.
Following the tense back-and-forth on incitement, Likud MK May Golan came under fire on Sunday for comparing Bennett and New Hope head Gideon Sa'ar to suicide bombers while speaking to the Knesset channel.
"Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar have nowhere else to go," she said. "I compare them to suicide bombers. The Shin Bet head can continue saying whatever he wants. They are like terrorists who don't believe in anything anymore. They go out to their suicide mission, and even if they know they have a death sentence, they don't care."
In addition, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee headed by MK Orna Barbivay will be meeting on Monday morning to discuss the issue of incitement and extremism in the public sphere amid Argaman's warning. The committee will discuss the upcoming flag parade, an additional security concern.
The parade passes through the Old City of Jerusalem and takes place every year on Jerusalem Day but was interrupted last month by clashes and Gaza rockets, leading organizers to deem this coming Thursday as a make-up date.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz held a briefing on Sunday to discuss the flag march amid warnings by both Israeli politicians and Hamas against allowing the event to take place, especially so shortly after Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Meanwhile, a "rabbinic letter" signed by numerous well-known ultra-Orthodox names such as Rabbi Haim Druckman that spread on social media was widely criticized as one form of such incitement.
Speaking of the incoming coalition, the letter said that "this government is completely contrary to the will of the people as expressed emphatically in the last election. Every effort must be made to prevent this government from being formed. It's not too late."
After a massive wave of backlash for the letter, Druckman told Channel 12 that he "would not have imagined that 'every effort' means doing something violent. Anyone who knows me knows that's not what I meant."
Some from the Likud spoke out against incitement on either side of the political spectrum. "I join the calls of Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman who warns of 'inciteful discourse that may harm human life,'" said Finance Minister and Likud MK Israel Katz. "You can have a sharp argument without crossing dangerous lines. We all have a responsibility to act this way."
Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin told the MKs at the faction meeting: "Our responsibility is to ensure that our discourse will be respectful and free of all incitement, unlike what has been done to Netanyahu over the years."
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.