An Israeli court has extended the detention of a woman accused of sending threatening letters and live bullets to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his family.
The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court ruled that the 65-year-old woman be held for another day after she was arrested on Monday. Her name has not been officially released, but reports say she is a prominent Likud activist and supporter of former longtime prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She is suspected of carrying or transporting weapons, threatening to commit an act of terrorism, extortion by threats and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Judge Erez Melamed said the threatening letter and bullet sent with it could have turned “into a real act of violence.”
According to the Times of Israel, the woman was forced into confessing when an officer threatened to arrest her husband and children.
The woman’s attorney, Eli Masterman, said she even told officers, “I will confess to killing Arlosoroff, just leave my family alone.” The woman was referring to the 1933 shooting death of pre-state Zionist leader Haim Arlosoroff.
Police said they had previously questioned the woman about her social media posts and criticism of Bennett. She had reportedly called Bennett a “murderer,” “traitor,” and a “swindler.”
One letter, with a live bullet, was sent to a building adjacent to the Bennett family home, where Bennett’s wife, Gilat, has an office. A second letter, also containing a live bullet, was addressed to Bennett’s 15-year-old son at the family home in Ra’anana.
“I’m the prime minister and a political figure, but I’m also a husband and father, and it’s my duty to protect my wife and children,” Bennett said in a social media post after the letters were delivered.
He urged “everybody, from across the political spectrum, and especially people who are active on social media,” to “lower the flames of political discourse.”
Related:
Israel Ramps Up Security after Prime Minister Receives Death Threat
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Amir Levy/Stringer
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
