East Jerusalem Resident Arrested for Threatening to Kill Israeli MK Tzvi Sukkot

A 25-year-old East Jerusalem resident, Tarzan Hammad, was arrested on Thursday after threatening to kill Israeli Member of Knesset Tzvi Sukkot. Hammad sent Sukkot Facebook messages containing images of weapons and ammunition, accompanied by the statement, "I always have a weapon, I travel without security checks, I will kill you when I see you." Following the threats, the Knesset and Israeli police conducted a security assessment and raised the threat level against Sukkot to level 4, increasing his security detail and tightening protective measures.

Sukkot's office stated that the threats came after he conducted a series of visits to Arab sector schools as part of his parliamentary work and his fight against extortion. He received multiple threatening messages, including weapon images. Sukkot praised the police for their swift action and arrest of the suspect, affirming that the threats will not deter him from his public duties. He emphasized that violence, crime, and illegal weapons stockpiles in the Arab sector pose a serious threat to Israeli citizens' security and vowed to continue combating them vigorously. "Anyone who thinks threats will silence me is mistaken," he said.

The police are currently interrogating Hammad regarding the murder threats, while Sukkot has provided testimony about the incident. The increased security measures reflect the seriousness of the threat against the MK amid ongoing efforts to address crime in Arab communities.