Prosecutors filed terrorism charges on Monday against four suspects over the launching of maritime flares at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea on the night of Nov. 16.
Rear Adm. (res.) Ofer Doron, 63, his son Gal Doron, 27, Amir Sadeh, 62, and Itay Yafeh, 62, were charged in the Haifa District Court with terrorism-related reckless behavior, attempted arson, and obstruction of justice.
The decision to launch the flares during a demonstration outside Netanyahu’s residence was driven by ideological and political motives, according to a Channel 12 summary of the indictment.
The anti-government activists allegedly wanted to send a message to Netanyahu that the demonstrations near his Caesarea home were still ongoing, with the goal of increasing the pressure on him to advance the demands of the protesters.
The indictment also underscores that the defendants anticipated their actions would likely incite fear and panic, especially among those near the prime minister’s home, including Netanyahu and his family.
Furthermore, the indictment accuses Ofer of trying to protect his son Gal by misleading investigators about his involvement. The indictment also describes how Gal Doron and Yafeh put on gloves for the launch, which Ofer Doron recorded with the intention of uploading to social media.
The prosecution emphasized that the defendants were aware that the firing of the flares could spark a fire in a populated area.
During a hearing at the Rishon Letzion Magistrate’s Court, Ofer Doron did not apologize to Netanyahu or his family, but to his security detail affected by the incident, saying that the act was intended as a nonviolent public protest.
“We never intended to harm a symbol of governance. That’s not the nature of our protest. We’ve always said violence is unacceptable,” he said.
The prosecution requested that the defendants be held in detention until the end of the legal proceedings.
Netanyahu and his family were not home at the time of the attack.
Video of the incident posted to social media shows two flares launched into the sky. They fell in the yard of the home.
