Fears Jewish extremists could target Israeli leaders

THE head of Israel’s internal security service said yesterday he is “very concerned” that Jewish extremists could assassinate an Israeli leader in an attempt to foil peace moves with the Palestinians.

There has been a recent increase in violence by hardline Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and this week Israel marks the 13th anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist opposed to his negotiations.

“Just ahead of the anniversary of Rabin’s murder [tomorrow], the Shin Bet [secret service] sees... on the extreme right, a willingness to use firearms in order to halt diplomatic processes and harm political leaders,” Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said. “The Shin Bet is very concerned about this.”