Israeli Man Indicted for Inciting Violence Against Netanyahu and Coalition Lawmakers

An indictment has been filed at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court against Raz Weinberger, 49, of Ein HaHoresh, over a series of posts on the social media platform X in which he allegedly called for violent attacks against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of his family, coalition lawmakers, and government supporters. According to the State Attorney's Office, the posts constituted a systematic campaign of incitement that continued for approximately six weeks during the politically sensitive period leading up to Israel's 26th Knesset elections.

Indictment Includes 28 Counts of Incitement

The indictment, filed by attorney Maya Nitzan of the State Attorney's Office Cyber Department, includes 28 counts: ten charges of incitement to terrorism and 18 charges of incitement to violence. The statements were allegedly published through Weinberger's public account on X.

Among the posts cited in the indictment were explicit calls for Netanyahu's murder. In one post, Weinberger allegedly wrote, "Benjamin Netanyahu, the greatest traitor in the country's history, deserves death." In another, he reportedly called for Netanyahu and members of his family to be burned alive. The alleged threats were not limited to the prime minister. In a response to a post by Knesset member Almog Cohen, Weinberger allegedly called for Cohen to be beheaded in front of his parents and for his head to be thrown to Gazans.

Prosecutors Warn of Potential Danger to Public Safety

Alongside the indictment, prosecutors submitted a detention request emphasizing the severity, frequency, and repeated nature of the alleged statements. According to the prosecution, the posts were not isolated remarks made in the heat of the moment, but part of a sustained pattern of incitement directed at elected officials and individuals whose political views differed from Weinberger's.

In the detention request, prosecutors argued that the systematic and repetitive nature of the posts, their volume and scope, and their violent and inflammatory content demonstrated that Weinberger posed a danger to public safety. The prosecution also noted that Weinberger had possessed a firearm until recently, a circumstance it argued heightened concerns that he might personally act on the violent statements attributed to him.

Prosecutors further emphasized the timing of the alleged offenses, arguing that their publication ahead of the elections, amid heightened political tensions, increased the potential threat to public security.

The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and Weinberger has not been convicted of the charges.