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Israeli defense minister says left-wing threats force him to change his phone every two months

“We all must internalize that hitting a key can be halfway to pulling a trigger,” says Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks at the Haaretz Democracy Conference in Jaffa, on Nov. 9, 2021. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks at the Haaretz Democracy Conference in Jaffa, on Nov. 9, 2021. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz revealed on Tuesday that he regularly replaces his phone due to threats against his life by left-wing activists.

“It pains me to say it, but I replace my phone every two months due to threats from the left, not the right,” he said.

Speaking at a democracy conference organized by left-wing Israeli daily Haaretz, Gantz blamed the “toxic atmosphere” in Israel on “non-acceptance of the democratic rules of the game,” Channel 12 reported.

While emphasizing that most Israelis, whether left or right, are not violent, incitement, he warned, was spreading.

“My main concern is for the lives of citizens in the street, for my colleagues in the Knesset who do not have security details,” he said. “We all must internalize that hitting a key can be halfway to pulling a trigger,” he added.

The defense minister went on to say that he would be holding a comprehensive discussion in the coming days, and lead a series of actions, aimed at strengthening enforcement against nationalistically motivated crime in Judea and Samaria.

The senior counsel appointment gives him a “green light” to develop new policies and initiatives, including a national antisemitism awareness tour, the longtime civil-rights attorney told JNS.
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