The police were investigating threats against the head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis Thursday, as her husband Dr. Meir Preis took his concern to Twitter – and several government members, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, expressed their solidarity to her.
“Israel Police, Honorable Minister, I address you directly,” Preis wrote, tagging both the police’s Twitter account and that of Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev. “There are concrete threats to the life of my wife. You know that, there are messages on social networks, there are phone numbers, there are explicitly threatening calls. You have the materials. It is time to act, now before it's too late!”
On Wednesday, the Health Ministry also denounced the incitement against the official on social media - often related to coronavirus policies or vaccination campaign.
Alroy-Preis has been the target of insults for months.
In August, an unidentified participant attending a session of the Knesset Law and Constitution Committee cursed Alroy-Preis during the meeting on Zoom.
According to reports in Israeli media, the threats against her had already been considered at level 4 out of 6 and police patrols are often dispatched around her house.
“The fake war of anti-vaxxers against Dr. Alroy-Preis and others needs to stop,” Bennett said. “The vaccines are our Iron Dome against the coronavirus. They save lives and allow us to keep Israel open and functioning.”
“I strongly condemn the threats against Dr. Alroy-Preis,” Bar Lev said in response to her husband's tweet. “There is no room for this kind of discourse against anyone, and certainly against dedicated public servants and experts in their field, such as Dr. Alroy-Preis.
“Three complaints have been filed on the subject in previous months and are under investigation," he added. "I am confident that the Israeli Police will complete the investigation in a serious manner and get to the bottom of the matter.”