Ein HaHoresh man, 49, charged over 21 X posts urging Netanyahu's death

Israeli prosecutors have filed an indictment against Raz Weinberger, a 49-year-old resident of Ein HaHoresh, over 21 posts on the social network X in which he allegedly called for the killing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, government ministers, coalition members of the Knesset and supporters of the government. N12 reported that the posts were published against the backdrop of the campaign for elections to the 26th Knesset, and that the charge sheet lists 10 counts of incitement to terrorism and 18 counts of incitement to violence.

Among the posts cited, according to N12, was a reply to a post by Netanyahu stating that "his sentence is death", and a reply to a post by Knesset member Almog Cohen saying that Cohen's parents should watch as his head is cut off. Ynet also reported the indictment, describing the defendant as a resident of central Israel charged with incitement to terrorism over statements against Netanyahu, and quoting the words "to burn you" from one of the posts.

The request to keep him in custody

Alongside the indictment, the State Attorney's Office asked the court to hold Weinberger in detention until the end of the legal proceedings against him. N12 reported that prosecutors argued the systematic nature of the posts, their volume and their violent content all point to the danger he poses. The prosecution also noted that the defendant had held a firearm until recently, which it said heightens concern that he could act on his calls for violence.

In Israel, a request for detention until the end of proceedings asks a court to keep a defendant behind bars for the duration of the trial rather than releasing him on bail or under restrictive conditions. The decision rests with the judge, who weighs the evidence presented and the risk the defendant is said to pose. The reports do not say whether a hearing on the request has yet taken place.

Who and where

Ein HaHoresh is a kibbutz in central Israel, which matches Ynet's description of the defendant as a resident of the centre of the country. Ynet's alert did not name him; the name, age and community come from N12.

Almog Cohen, whose post drew one of the replies quoted in the indictment, is a serving member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. N12 described the targets of the posts more broadly as the prime minister, ministers, Knesset members from the governing coalition and people who support the government.

Two separate charges

The indictment draws a distinction between two offences. Incitement to violence covers public calls or statements that could lead others to commit violent acts. Incitement to terrorism is a separate and more serious offence under Israeli law, applying to statements that call for, praise or encourage acts of terror. According to N12, prosecutors attached the terrorism charge to 10 of the alleged offences and the violence charge to 18. The reports do not explain which posts fall under which count, or why some posts appear to have produced more than one charge.

Prosecutions over online calls to harm elected officials are not unusual in Israel, and the authorities have repeatedly said they treat threats against public figures with particular seriousness during election periods, when political tension runs high. The election setting is explicitly cited in the N12 account of this case.

How the sources differ

The two outlets agree on the core of the event: an indictment for incitement to terrorism over posts on X directed at Netanyahu. They differ in detail. N12 names the defendant, gives his age and home, counts the posts and the charges, and reports the detention request. Ynet's alert identifies him only as a central Israel resident and highlights a different quoted phrase. Neither account contradicts the other, but much of the detail rests on N12 alone.

What the reports do not say

• Which court received the indictment and when a hearing on detention is scheduled.
• Whether Weinberger has responded to the charges, or who represents him.
• When the posts were published, and over what period.
• Whether he was arrested before the indictment, and how investigators identified him.
• What kind of firearm he held, on what basis, and why he no longer holds it.
• Whether Netanyahu, Almog Cohen or any other named target has commented.

Israel.com will update this report if further details are published.