Bezalel Smotrich
Bezalel SmotrichHezki Baruch

The chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, MK Bezalel Smotrich, responded on Tuesday evening to the threatening letter sent to the family of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and which included a live bullet.

"I do not know if the publication of the investigation into the threatening letter sent to Bennett is a spin designed to improve his public standing and delegitimize the right and the just protests against Bennett, or a real event. I do know that violence must always be off-limits, but also that the days of shutting the mouth of the right with cries of 'incitement' have passed," Smotrich declared.

"There are a few insane people on both sides and the security and enforcement services need to take care of them and prevent violence, but it has nothing to do with harsh and sharp political and public criticism of horrific acts committed by Bennett and his partners," he continued.

"We will oppose violence of any kind and continue to criticize the government and work for its immediate replacement," Smotrich concluded.

Bennett responded earlier to the death threats which were mailed to his family home in Ra'anana.

"Political conflict, no matter how deep it is, should not reach violence, bullying and death threats. We need to do everything, as leaders and as citizens whose future and the future of their children in this country, so that such phenomena simply do not exist," Bennett said.

"We are all people. Arguments and disagreements - yes. Bullying and threats - no," he added.

"I am a prime minister and a political man, but I am also a husband and father, and it is my duty to also take care of my wife and children. We must lower the flames of political discourse," he said.

"On the eve of Memorial Day and Independence Day, I call on everyone - from all corners of the political spectrum, especially people who are active on social media - to have this be a time of calm and reconciliation. We have one house, and we must not burn it down," the Prime Minister concluded.