Woman indicted for threats, mailing bullets to former PM Bennett's wife, son

An Ashkelon woman was indicted for mailing live bullets and sending death threats to former prime minister Naftali Bennett and his family on Thursday, the Justice Ministry announced on Thursday.

In April 2022, Alina Sporta, 65, sent two letters to Bennett's household, addressed to his wife Gilat Bennett and their minor son. The letters threatened the lives of the two, and demanded that Bennett resign. In the envelopes were live rifle cartridges.

"This is the bullet that will hit your soft belly Naftali Bennett and directly hit... Bennett if you don't resign," read the first letter, according to the statement.

In the second letter Sporta wrote, "This is the bullet that will hit and target your Gilat or You, Naftali Bennett, will be resigning."

For months, Sporta had reportedly posted death wishes, defamation and cursed Bennett on social media. She has been charged with extortion by threats.

The Shin Bet had decided to increase security around Bennett's family after the envelopes were received at their home in Ra'anana.

"Political conflict, no matter how profound, should not reach violence, bullying and death threats,” Bennett tweeted at the time. “We need to do everything, as leaders and as citizens whose future and the future of their children are in this country, so that such phenomena simply do not happen."

Other death threats against Bennett and Lapid

According to Kan a few days before the incident, an IDF soldier was detained by military police after he threatened Bennett on social media.

In August, the wife of Bennett's coalition partner and then prime minister Yair Lapid received several threatening emails. Lihi Lapid's sister also received threatening emails.

The threats to the two former prime ministers came as their coalition fell apart in 2022 and the lead up to the general election late that year.

Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.