Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu disclosed Monday that Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his children, revealing information that Israeli authorities had previously barred from publication.
Speaking in an interview with Channel 14 News, Netanyahu described the alleged Iranian plot while explaining the extraordinary security measures surrounding members of his family.
“There is something here that is unbelievable. Iran targeted one of my children. Iran tried to murder one of my children,” he said.
Pressed on whether his assertion was based on intelligence that had been presented to him, Netanyahu declined to provide further details and instead reiterated the claim.
“Iran tried to assassinate one of my children,” he said.
Netanyahu said the security protection afforded to his children should therefore not be viewed as an unnecessary privilege, arguing that the threat against them is concrete.
“It is something without which this attempt will simply succeed,” he said.
The disclosure comes weeks after the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs approved long-term security arrangements for the Netanyahu family. Under the July 16 decision, Netanyahu will receive security protection for the remainder of his life, while his wife, Sara, will remain protected for her husband’s lifetime. Netanyahu’s sons are slated to retain security for five years even if he does not serve another term as prime minister.
Ahead of that decision, the Shin Bet and Mossad reportedly concluded that Netanyahu and members of his family would remain under a high threat level throughout their lives. Israeli security officials have cited concerns that the country’s enemies could seek revenge against Netanyahu and his relatives over the assassinations of senior Iranian officials during the war.
Evidence of Iranian efforts to target senior Israeli officials emerged two years ago with the arrest of Motti Maman, a 73-year-old Ashkelon resident accused of being recruited by Iranian intelligence operatives to participate in assassination plots. Israeli authorities said the potential targets included Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
According to Israeli security officials, Maman was secretly transported into Iran on two occasions and received money in connection with missions he was asked to carry out. Authorities said his involvement stemmed from an effort to obtain “easy money” after falling into debt.
Netanyahu’s revelation came amid separate reports that Iranian state television broadcast a video threatening Barron Trump, the 20-year-old son of President Donald Trump.
The Iranian video, titled “Where and How Barron Trump Should Be Killed,” alleges that Barron’s movements have been “fully monitored” and claims that information has been gathered about the university he attends, vehicles traveling with him and the locations of Secret Service personnel assigned to his protection. The broadcast additionally claimed that a $10 million bounty had been placed on Barron, though that assertion had not been independently confirmed at the time of publication.
The latest threat follows another video released in July by the Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. That publication claimed Iranian operatives had uncovered access routes and vulnerabilities involving Melania Trump’s security arrangements in New York. The New York Post also reported in late May on an alleged plot targeting Ivanka Trump.
Iranian state media have additionally directed threats at President Trump himself. In July, a billboard erected in Tehran’s Islamic Revolution Square depicted Trump apparently lying dead in a coffin and carried the English-language threat, “We will kill Trump.”
{Matzav.com}
