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Ha'aretz: "Barak gets death threat over West Bank settlement freeze"

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has received a death threat, apparently from far-rightists who oppose his involvement in implementing the 10-month freeze in West Bank settlement construction, Channel 10 news reported on Tuesday.

"If you think of destroying the settlements, you are mistaken, and I will kill you," read part of the letter, which has been transferred to the Shin Bet Security Service for investigation, according to Channel 10.
"I will harm you or your children, be careful," the letter continued. "If not now, then when you are no longer a minister and have no security around you."

Channel 2 news reported last week that security had been increased for Barak due to fears over threats from right-wing extremists. The threats to Barak come after similar threats were made against Police Commissioner David Cohen.

National Union MK Michael Ben Ari on Tuesday dismissed the death threats as political spin.

"One week ago we heard about the police commissioner being threatened, after which we heard about the public security minister receiving threats and today it's Barak," said Ben Ari.

"The next stage will be that Barak's Filipino housekeeper will receive a [threatening] letter. We are talking about spin from seasoned spokesmen who are leaking biased information. It's a joke," he said.

Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin last week said that extremists will try to sow chaos in order to prevent the settlement freeze from being enforced.

He cited the recent arson attack on a mosque in the Palestinian village of Yasuf as an example of the type of provocations the settlers would resort to, in order to interfere with security forces' activities.

The Shin Bet on Sunday said it was investigating the source of a number of threats made against Police Commissioner David Cohen in recent days.

Police believe that the threatening letters were sent to Cohen by angry right-wing activists, in response to his recent declaration that security forces were intent on stopping any attempts to disrupt enforcement of the West Bank settlement freeze.

"You have been marked for death," said a letter sent to Cohen. "Your day of judgment is near."