Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin NetanyahuOlivier Fitoussi/Flash 90

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night that he had personally filed a police complaint against the "Hozeh Hadash" organization which oversees the activities of "Crime Minster", and against activist Ishay Hadas, over what he said was a post they published that clearly called for the harming of his wife, Sara, and his sons, Yair and Avner.

In addition, Netanyahu asked that all complaints of incitement to murder that have been filed by him with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit for years, the majority of which have not been dealt with, be looked into.

Meanwhile, MK Itamar Ben Gvir also turned to Mandelblit and asked that the instigators be investigated.

"This is incitement to murder and there is no doubt that words can kill, incitement to murder is written on the wall of the social media networks,” wrote Ben Gvir, who also sought to find out how his own complaint against Joint List chairman MK Ayman Odeh, who physically assaulted him, was progressing.

On Friday, Netanyahu published a video in which he called on the Israeli government not to remove the security from his wife and children ahead of a Knesset committee discussion on the matter which is scheduled for Sunday, a day before the official expiration date of their security details.

"In recent years, there have been constant threats to harm me, my wife and my sons, and even to murder them - including in the last six months - and including only yesterday," Netanyahu said in a video statement posted to his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

"Yesterday, an extreme left-wing organization calling itself Crime Minister issued another direct threat to harm my wife and sons," he added.

"There is a clear threat to harm them in this statement, including an indication of the explicit date on which security will be removed and there will be an opportunity to harm them. It is important to remember that [former Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi] was killed only two days after the security was removed from him. Therefore, I will lodge a complaint with the police about this explicit threat."

Netanyahu also wrote that another threatening letter had recently arrived at his office with the words, "Yair the bastard, we are four Israelis who live abroad and will be coming to Israel soon to kill you and your garbage father and also your mother. You will die soon. Wait for us. We will arrive very soon."

“Just a week ago, Matan Kahana, who heads the Committee dealing with security issues, ensured security detail for himself. Because of what? Because of criticism from politicians. He said those statements 'could lead confused people to do very bad deeds'. As head of the committee, he takes care of his own security, and at the same time lowers the security of my wife and sons in the face of constant threats to harm them."

Netanyahu concluded by saying that "the writing is on the wall. This is human life. What else needs to happen? Who will take responsibility if, God forbid, something happens to them? Do not abandon the security of my wife and children."