Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday has cancelled a campaign appearance at the last minute following threats by Islamic Jihad Palestinian Resistance group, Israeli media reported.
The Times of Israel reported the audience that gathered in the city of Ashkelon had already been waiting for the politician for several hours when the event was cancelled.
Netanyahu did appear at the event via teleconferencing and apologized for not showing up.
The Israeli PM said he was unable attend the event for a reason he could not elaborate upon. According to local Channel 12, his associates blamed “policy discussions” for the cancellation.
However, shortly before the event was called off, the Islamic Jihad released a threatening video showing its members preparing for an attack on the Zionist entity.
The footage depicts masked Resistance fighters transporting rockets in a tunnel and then rockets being fired at the occupied territories. The video ends with Netanyahu being escorted from a campaign event in 2019 by security officials due to a rocket strike.
“You forget”, read the caption to the video as cited by The Times of Israel.
The Islamic Jihad has vowed to get revenge on the occupation regime for the martyrdom of three Gaza fishermen killed in an explosion. The Resistance group said the explosion was caused by an Israeli drone.
Netanyahu was twice rushed off the stage by bodyguards during campaign appearances in 2019, tarnishing his reputation as the politician had tried to promote his achievements in security.
The development comes a week before Israelis head to the polls to vote in legislative elections, the fourth in two years.
Source: Agencies
