Elderly Israeli Man Indicted for Threatening Defense Minister Over Radio Station Closure

An 84-year-old resident of a kibbutz in the Jezreel Valley has been indicted for allegedly posting a direct threat on Facebook to murder Defense Minister Israel Katz. The indictment, filed in the Nazareth Magistrate's Court, states the man was enraged by Katz's decision to close the military radio station Galei Tzahal (Army Radio).

According to the indictment, the accused wrote on his personal Facebook page that he intended to shoot Katz, referring to him with an offensive nickname and directly referencing the decision to shut down the radio station. The post, which contained spelling errors, read, "I intend to shoot Israel Katz, the challenged and ugly man for the idiotic decision to close Galei Tzahal."

The incident began in November of the previous year when the Defense Minister announced the controversial decision to close Army Radio, which sparked widespread public outcry. Following a report of the threatening post, the Israel Police launched an investigation, located the suspect, and questioned him. Evidence was gathered and transferred to the prosecution, which decided to file charges for threats against a public official.

The suspect's attorney, Wassim Daher, argued that his client is a law-abiding, normal citizen with no prior criminal record. He stated that the threats were not serious and were made in a moment of anger due to the public controversy surrounding the closure of Army Radio. The defense plans to present its full arguments in court.

The decision to close Army Radio had previously been challenged in the High Court of Justice, which in August overturned the closure, ruling it was based on "extraneous and improper considerations" stemming from dissatisfaction with the station's content.