Israeli Court Convicts Man of Attempted Threats Against Itamar Ben Gvir
An Israeli court convicted Meir Weigman of attempted threats against Itamar Ben Gvir over threatening Facebook posts published in 2022, rejecting claims of protected political speech.
A Magistrate's Court in Rishon LeZion has convicted Meir Weigman of attempted threats against Itamar Ben Gvir, who served as a member of the Knesset in 2022, following a series of Facebook posts containing alarming statements. Judge Avi Westerman rejected the defense's argument that the posts constituted protected political speech driven by emotional distress, ruling instead that the language crossed clear criminal boundaries.
The prosecution presented four separate social media posts published by Weigman. In one post, he wrote that Ben Gvir should "watch his back every minute" and warned that if he left his home, he was headed for a "bad end." Weigman admitted to authoring the posts but argued they were metaphors intended to make the politician reconsider his rhetoric, particularly regarding the eviction of citizens. He stated during cross-examination that his explicit intent was for Ben Gvir to read the messages directly.
Judge Westerman dismissed the defense's claims as forced and disingenuous, emphasizing that the statements were issued across a span of three months rather than in a single moment of passion. The court determined that a reasonable person would interpret the phrases as clear threats of physical harm. However, the judge acquitted Weigman of a separate charge regarding threats directed at Nili Kadosh, Ben Gvir's chief of staff at the time, noting that the defendant had no direct intent or awareness regarding her exposure to the material.
