Israeli man arrested for threatening to assassinate Netanyahu

The threat came to light during a conversation with a social worker, who quickly notified police.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 3 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 3
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Police arrested a 52-year-old Netanya resident after he allegedly threatened to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Israel Radio, the man also threatened to kill the police officers that would come to arrest him.
The suspect's motives were not initially clear, nor were details of his threat.
The threat came to light during a conversation with a social worker. The social worker notified police and the man was arrested in his home.
Tensions on the political front have been high as the country faces new elections following Netanyahu's dismissal on Tuesday of Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Hatnua chairwoman Tzipi Livni from their posts as ministers. The remaining four ministers in Yesh Atid resigned two hours later.
The next day, the Knesset voted to disperse itself and new elections were called for March 17, 2015.
In a poll, taken on Wednesday among 500 respondents representing a statistical sample of the adult population, participants were asked whether they want Netanyahu to remain prime minister after the vote.
Sixty percent said no, 34% said yes, and 6% did not know.
In a head-to-head race between Netanyahu and former welfare and social services minister Moshe Kahlon, 46% preferred Kahlon, 36% Netanyahu and 18% did not know. Between Netanyahu and former interior minister Gideon Sa’ar, 43% said Sa’ar, 38% Netanyahu and 19% did not know.
Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.