Three arrested for firing flares at Netanyahu’s Caesarea home

Three suspects have been arrested for throwing flares at the Caesarea home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, Israeli police and Shin Bet announced on Sunday morning.

No damage was caused, and a joint statement from the two security groups said the family was not home during the attack. The Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit and the Shin Bet are investigating the incident, which they said “marks a dangerous escalation”.

According to Israel’s Channel 12 News, the three suspects are anti-government protesters, and one is a senior officer in the IDF reserves.

Footage of the incident that was posted to social media by Kan News appears to show the two flares being launched into the sky and not directly at the Netanyahu residence, which was confirmed by eyewitnesses. Channel 12 reported that the flares fell in the yard of the house.

The incident reportedly took place during an anti-Netanyahu demonstration outside the residence, of which there have been numerous in recent years, led by a group called Moked Caesarea.

The suspects are being represented by attorney Gonen Ben Yitzhak, and the court has issued a 30-day gag order on the publication of details of the investigation or the identities of the suspects.

“The detainees are pillars of the Caesarea protest. If we thought the day would come when protest activists would be arrested, that day has arrived. Not only are they detained, but they are in Shin Bet facilities under interrogation,” said Ben Yitzhak.

The incident was condemned across the Israeli political spectrum.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and National Unity chairman Benny Gantz both voiced their disapproval and called on law enforcement to “bring the guilty to justice”.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the incident “extremely serious and dangerous,” adding that he had spoken with the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, “and emphasised the urgent need to investigate and address those responsible for the incident as quickly as possible.”

Bar had stressed that the incident constituted “a dangerous escalation and noted that the Shin Bet and police investigation is being conducted with the utmost seriousness”, tweeted Herzog, adding: “We must not allow these flames to escalate. I reiterate my warning against an escalation of violence in the public sphere. This is a matter of utmost importance.”

The Netanyahus’ private home in Caesarea was lightly damaged in a Hezbollah attack last month when a drone struck the house, breaking a window. Following that attack, the government reportedly demanded an two million shekel security update at the estate.