An activist who has been charged after allegedly plotting to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hoping to “martyr” herself in order to “save” the Jewish State, according to the indictment against her.
Prosecutors claimed that the woman, said to be in her 70s, was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness and developed the plan to kill Netanyahu as a means of “sacrificing” herself.
Police confirmed that the suspect is a known anti-government activist after she was arrested two weeks ago.
She is accused of approaching other members of the protest movement in an attempt to obtain weapons and information about Netanyahu’s security detail.
A court-issued gag order prevents the publication of the suspect’s name or address, though police did confirm that she is from Tel Aviv.
Following her arrest, she was released on the condition that she stay away from both Netanyahu and all government buildings.
According to Channel 12’s Amit Segal, the indictment alleges: “[The suspect] was recently diagnosed with a serious illness and may have only a short time to live.
"As a result, she resolved to assassinate the prime minister, aiming to ‘sacrifice’ her life for the struggle against the government and thereby ‘save’ the State of Israel.
"She declared that she was willing to die as a ‘martyr’ and to give her life for the cause.”
Prosecutors have also requested to extend the conditions of her house arrest, saying: “The illness still exists, and there is a real concern that she will attempt to carry out her plan against the prime minister or any other government official.”
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