Bar-Am previously organized anti-Obama rally in TA, in which attendees were invited to throw shoes at a poster of the US president.
By BEN HARTMANShai Nitzan 311(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court on Wednesday afternoon extended by ten days the remand of Ori Bar-Am, the day after he was arrested on suspicion of uploading a video which called for the murder of deputy state prosecutor Shai Nitzan.Bar-Am previously made the news in Israel in October, when he organized a rally outside the US Embassy where protestors threw eggs and shoes at pictures of US President Barack Obama.RELATED:Police seek maker of video urging death for official New YouTube video threatens Ehud Barak At the October rally, Bar-Am told The Jerusalem Post he organized the protest because Obama's agenda “is harming the rights of Jews in the land of Israel, is anti-democratic, anti-America.” He also pondered, “if Obama can be against the burning of the Koran, how can he kick around the bible?” Bar-Am broke into tears at the court house on Wednesday, saying "I express complete regret. I am ashamed of what I did.”Bar-Am also issued a personal apology to Nitzan, and claimed that his actions were a mistake and that “all I wanted to do was raise public awareness on incitement. I understand that you do not fight violence with violence." Bar-Am took full responsibility for the video, and apologized to Nitzan as well Defense Minister Ehud Barak.During his interrogation, Bar-Am said he acted alone, and that he was working as a coordinator for the National Union party, and that he was in contact with Knesset members. However, officials from National Union denied Bar-Am worked for the party.The video, which was posted online on Monday, calls for Nitzan to be murdered because he allegedly only pursues incitement charges against people calling for the murder of Arabs, and not those who make similar calls against Jews.The video refers to Nitzan as a “hounder and harasser of Jew, who protects Arabs and collaborates with them.”It adds, “Shay Nitzan, you better wake up quick! It’s the Arabs, not the Jews who are the enemies of Israel.”The video closes with, “Nitzan is now welcome to probe who is calling for his murder.”
The video was posted online less than a week after Nitzan requested that police investigate two Facebook groups for suspicion of inciting racism, including a group entitled “Death to all Arabs”.
