On August 24 (local time), according to Xinhua news agency, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli Channel 14 that Iran had tried to kill his son.
Mr. Netanyahu made the above statement when asked about the controversy related to Mr. Gadi Eisenkot - former Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli army. Previously, Mr. David Zini - head of the Israeli Internal Security Agency (Shin Bet) - decided not to deploy forces to protect Mr. Eisenkot.
Mr. Eisenkot is predicted by many polls to be a potential competitor to Mr. Netanyahu in the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. Israeli opposition parties believe that the decision not to provide protection for Mr. Eisenkot has political motives.
This controversy was particularly noticed after a ministerial-level committee in charge of Shin Bet issues decided last month that Netanyahu's two sons, Yair and Avner, would be protected for a period of 5 years.
When asked about this issue, Mr. Netanyahu said that protecting his sons is not a privilege or luxury. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, without protection measures, Iran could "succeed in efforts" aimed at them.
However, Mr. Netanyahu did not provide further specific information about allegations that Iran had tried to kill his son.
In an interview, the Israeli Prime Minister said that he had asked the head of Shin Bet to provide appropriate protection measures for anyone running for prime minister.
Netanyahu's statement was made in the context of security issues for Israeli political figures attracting attention ahead of the October 27 election.
