Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of trying to kill one of his sons, without revealing the identity of the son who he said was targeted, the timing of the alleged plot, or details about how it was thwarted and how close it came to implementation.
Netanyahu’s statements came during a telephone interview with the Israeli “Channel 14”, in his comment on the controversy related to the security protection of the candidates for prime minister before the Israeli general elections scheduled for next October 27.
Netanyahu said: “Iran targeted one of my sons and tried to kill him,” adding that “security protection is not a luxury,” without providing any public evidence or additional information regarding the accusation.
Netanyahu did not specify which of his sons he was referring to, while his eldest son, Yair, currently resides in the American city of Miami. The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the accusation, according to Reuters.
In the same context, Netanyahu confirmed that he informed the head of the Israeli Shin Bet Security Service, David Zinni, of the necessity of providing appropriate security protection to any candidate for the position of prime minister, considering that potential security threats require that the protection of candidates be taken seriously.
His statements come after Israeli media reports stated that Zinni had previously refused to grant permanent security protection to former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, and informed the authorities concerned with the elections that there was no information about a specific plan targeting him.
Eisenkot’s team had demanded that he be provided with official protection against the backdrop of threats that he said had escalated against him, while during the recent period he used a private security company to ensure his protection during his electoral movements and activities.
The file of security protection for the candidates comes at a time when Israel is preparing to hold general elections on October 27, amid competition between Netanyahu, Eisenkot, and a number of other political forces.
Circulating opinion polls indicate that Eisenkot’s party may win the largest number of seats in the upcoming elections, but the fact that any party obtains the largest number of seats does not necessarily mean it will form a government, as Israeli governments usually rely on coalitions that include several parties to obtain a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Netanyahu’s statement regarding one of his sons coincided with the escalation of security warnings regarding the possibility of targeting prominent Israeli figures, while no independent details have yet been revealed confirming the nature of the plan that the Israeli Prime Minister spoke about, its timing, or the party that revealed it.
