Jewish extremists react to crackdown with death threats

Jewish extremists have reacted to a security crackdown on them by issuing death threats against politicians and human rights groups.

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin had to beef up his security this week after telling crowds that the country was being engulfed by “flames of hatred”. He added that he was “shamed” that the killers came from “my own people”.

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In a show of passion rarely seen by Israeli statesmen, he likened Jewish extremists to “weeds threatening the safety of the entire garden”.

Death threats and posters soon began appearing on social media, with one saying that he would “come to a worse end than Ariel Sharon”.

Elsewhere, human rights group New Israel Fund filed a police complaint after receiving death threats. One letter called the NIF “traitors with not a drop of Jewish blood” and “Nazi dogs,” adding: “I’ll organise a small massacre for you.” Another read: “You should all be murdered.” In another, an employee’s name and address was written, alongside the words: “You’ve been warned.”

The group has appealed to Israel’s new justice minister Ayelet Shaked, of the far-right Jewish Home party, who drew outrage last year when she appeared to brand all Palestinians enemy combatants and legitimate targets.