Israeli police arrested a man with a knife at an event honoring left-wing leader Yair Golan on Thursday after what his party described as an “alleged attempted stabbing” as Israelis went to the polls in crucial elections.
As Golan mobilized voters Tuesday in Tel Aviv, “an unidentified man wearing a jacket approached him in a threatening manner,” his party, the Democrats, said.
“Golan security guards blocked the man and as they moved towards him, a large knife slipped from under his clothes and fell to the ground.”
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The guards “immediately subdued him before he could do anything. Police were called to the scene and arrested the suspect.”
In a statement, the Israeli police confirmed that they had “arrested a suspect in possession of a knife”, but added that “contrary to reported information, no attempted stabbing attack took place”.
Golan, a former military officer, is the leader of Israel’s main left-wing party, the Democrats, made up of elements of Israel’s once-popular Labor Party.
It is part of an electoral alliance led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, but sits further to the left.
Golan is the only major party candidate in Israel who still supports a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
Israeli police said that while escorting Golan, “officers on scene noticed a suspicious object protruding from under the coat of an individual standing near the public figure. Officers stopped the individual for a search and discovered a knife in his possession.”
The suspect, who police said is a Jerusalem resident in his 20s, was arrested and questioned.
“Incitement and violence will not deter us,” Golan said after the incident, attributing the incident to the “poison machine” led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I call on everyone who cares about security and democracy to vote now,” he added.
Tuesday’s incident follows a dispute between the Golan and the Israeli state. Golan said the security offered to him was insufficient.
“Only after a long legal battle did the Shin Bet take responsibility for its security, effective yesterday,” his party said on Tuesday, referring to Israel’s counterintelligence and internal security agency.
“We do not want to imagine how this incident could have ended without the party-led campaign that led the Shin Bet to assume responsibility for the security of the Golan,” they added in a later statement.
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