Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich received a threatening letter with Nazi symbols on Tuesday, his office said.
The letter, written in English, accuses the Religious Zionism Party leader of “intending to destroy Israel.” Pictures taken of the letter by Smotrich’s office show a swastika along with the brief text.
It was received on the day that the country is observing Holocaust Remembrance Day, with somber events honoring the 6 million Jews murdered by the Germans and their collaborators during World War II.
An investigation into the incident was opened by the Magen Unit, which is entrusted with the security of ministers and deputy ministers. A police report is expected to be filed soon.
The letter comes a day after member of Knesset Boaz Bismuth from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party was harassed and heckled loudly while he was attempting to speak during an event at a Tel Aviv synagogue marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.
אין כבוד: מפגינים נגד הרפורמה ביזו אירוע זיכרון לשואה שמתקיים בבית כנסת בת"א – כאשר ח"כ בועז ביסמוט עלה לנאום. המשתתפים המזועזעים הוציאו את הכורזים וביקשו לכבד את המעמד pic.twitter.com/byz4oFkzFE
— Moti Kastel מוטי קסטל (@KastelMoti) April 17, 2023
“I will not treat those who came here against me as enemies. We are brothers. We may not agree but we will not do to each other what has been done to us for many generations. It is legitimate that everyone has a different aspiration for Israel—but our fate is the same, certainly on an evening like this,” said Bismuth before having to cut his speech short for fear of violence.
Anarchists and other opponents of Netanyahu and his coalition’s judicial reform initiative have taken to the streets on a regular basis since the proposed legislation was introduced at the beginning of the year. They have been crossing more and more civil behavior red lines.
