A 49-year-old man from Ein HaHoresh has been indicted on charges of incitement to terrorism and violence for social media posts calling for the killing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coalition members, and government supporters. The indictment was filed by the State Attorney’s Office on Sunday at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court, where prosecutors also requested that the suspect, Raz Weinberger, remain in custody throughout the legal proceedings.
The charges stem from 21 posts Weinberger allegedly published on X (formerly Twitter) between September 10 and October 19, in the lead-up to the election for the 26th Knesset. The indictment accuses him of 10 counts of incitement to terrorism and 18 counts of incitement to violence, with some posts underpinning both charges.
Among the statements cited in the indictment, Weinberger allegedly called Netanyahu “the craziest traitor in the country’s history” and stated that he “deserves death.” Additional posts reportedly incited violence against Netanyahu’s wife and her two sons, calling for them to be burned alive. The indictment also includes calls for the killing of ministers, members of Knesset, and supporters of the government, such as a threat to behead Likud MK Almog Cohen and posts advocating sexual violence and death against Likud MK Tally Gotliv.
The accused’s account had approximately 40 followers, but its posts were accessible to the public. According to the indictment, the reach of Weinberger’s replies varied between 23 and 283 views. Prosecutors contend that the content and context created a credible risk that the posts could provoke acts of terrorism or violence.
Weinberger was detained on October 23. During five police interviews, he reportedly confirmed authorship of the posts and acknowledged the possibility that his words might influence others to resort to violence, though he expressed hope that this had not occurred. Phone records recovered during the investigation linked him to the account.
Although Weinberger has no prior criminal record, authorities emphasize the persistent and severe nature of the postings as indicative of a sustained campaign rather than isolated comments made impulsively. Prosecutors also highlighted that Weinberger had military firearm training and had possessed a gun until recently, factors that they argue increase concerns regarding his capacity to carry out violent acts personally.
At an earlier hearing, Weinberger’s defense lawyer requested his release to an alternative to detention, citing the limited audience of the account and the absence of evidence that Weinberger attempted to act on his statements. The defense also pointed to his service in the military reserves and volunteering with the police as mitigating factors.
Prosecutors countered on Sunday that measures such as house arrest would be insufficient to prevent further online activity, given the accused’s potential access to internet-enabled devices. They additionally argued that despite the end of the election, ongoing political tensions amid government formation efforts continue to present a risk.