An Israel Defense Forces soldier was arrested on Monday on suspicion of incitement to violence and making death threats against left-wing political candidates on social media. A day before the Knesset elections, the soldier allegedly wrote on his Facebook page: "If a leftist takes power, I promise and swear on my soul that I will be the next Yigal Amir." Amir is currently serving a life sentence for the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. During questions, the soldier confessed to the allegations against him and his remand was extended. "This is a young man who does not have a criminal record," said his attorney Benny Zeitouni. "He participated in an Internet discussion about a month and a half ago where soldiers who fought in Operation Protective Edge were disparaged. In a fit of rage he wrote this comment. Not even for a minute did he intend to act on it, and he says that he deleted it several hours later. "Arresting him a month and a half after he made the comment and deleted it is unnecessary, and I hope that he will be released by tomorrow."
