Suspect in Salt Shaker Throwing at Bennett Curses Investigator

A Tel Aviv district court on Friday extended the arrest of Eli Azrad, a resident of Bnei Brak, who is suspected of throwing two salt shakers at a table where former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was seated. The incident occurred Thursday night at approximately 11:50 p.m. at a restaurant in Bnei Brak. According to police, one of the salt shakers hit a wall with force, and had they hit a person, they could have caused physical injury.

During his police interrogation, Azrad reportedly stated, "Everything is from God" and added, "Bennett is a son of a bitch." Police described the incident as an "attempted attack on a public figure" during a sensitive period, citing the suspect's significant dangerousness. While a circulated video does not show the moment of the throwing, and many people were present at the restaurant, police stated that an officer's testimony directly links Azrad to the act. The defense argued that the evidence is insufficient and that it's unclear Azrad threw the salt shakers given the number of people present, requesting his release to house arrest and that his name be withheld from publication.

A Magistrate's Court judge initially found reasonable suspicion against Azrad, primarily based on the officer's report of witnessing the act and apprehending Azrad immediately after. Despite the lack of clear identification in the video and the crowd, the judge deemed the officer's testimony sufficient at that stage and extended Azrad's arrest until Monday, citing his dangerousness.

However, the District Court judge, Samuel Melamed, reviewing an appeal, upheld the existence of suspicion, noting the police memo stating an officer "saw the object being thrown and at the time of the offense approached the suspect and apprehended him." Nevertheless, due to limited remaining investigative actions, the judge reduced the arrest period by one day, allowing police to complete their investigation by Sunday. The request to prohibit the publication of Azrad's name was also denied, with the judge emphasizing that any publication must clarify that these are only suspicions at this stage, not an indictment.