Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of trying to assassinate one of his sons.
“This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu told Israel’s Channel 14 on Monday, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise [I am making] is more than a luxury – without it, they could succeed [in killing my son]. People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister stated that he had spoken to David Zini, director of the Israeli Security Agency Shin Bet, asking him to increase security for any prime ministerial candidate.
Netanyahu did not clarify during the phone interview which of his sons—35-year-old Yair Netanyahu or 31-year-old Avner Netanyahu—was targeted by the alleged plot, nor did he provide specific details of how Israeli intelligence was made aware of it.
Shin Bet previously extended protective services to Netanyahu’s sons and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, in July.
Netanyahu’s announcement comes after Israel revealed a large store of weapons — including rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automated weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and other military firepower — it has confiscated from Hezbollah and Hamas in recent months. Both Iranian-backed groups have been linked to widespread regional violence and historical attacks that have claimed the lives of hundreds of American and international citizens.
Hellbound and Down 