New Hope leader Gideon Sa'ar, who is slated to be the justice minister in the next government, has been assigned a security detail on Tuesday following threats to harm him over his decision to join the Center-Left coalition.
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The decision follows what the Israel Security Agency says is a dramatic increase in the number of online death threats made against public officials involved in the efforts to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Shin Bet security service, which is responsible for providing elected officials with personal security details, has already increased the protection afforded to Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and his No. 2, MK Ayelet Shaked, citing the growing threats against them over Yamina's decision to join Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid's coalition.
The threat assessment pertaining to their security stands at Level 5 – just one level shy of the gravest possible threat.
Threats against Lapid have also escalated. Yesh Atid's leader already has increased security over his role as opposition leader, but last week, the ISA upgraded his security to that of Level 5 threats, as well.
The Shin Bet did not say whether the threat level against Sa'ar was equally grave.
Yamina MKs Nir Orbach and Idit Silman also received death threats after they refused to yield to pressure to vote against their party's decision to join the coalition-in-the-making.
Both have received security details until further notice, Knesset Security Chief Maj. Gen. Moshe Griff said on Sunday.
Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman have also received death threats.
Also on Tuesday, the Knesset began preparations for the swearing-in of the Center-Left coalition, slated to take place on Sunday, June 13, at 4 p.m.
The new government's first move would be to name Yesh Atid Mickey Levy as Knesset Speaker, replacing Likud MK Yariv Levin.
Silman, for whom this is the first term as a legislator, is slated to become the coalition chief. This will make her only the second woman to ever hold the position of coalition whip in Israel, the first being Likud MK Sara Doron, named in 1988.
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