Charges were filed on Thursday against Eliya Azrad, a 26-year-old Bnei Brak resident accused of throwing a glass salt shaker toward former prime minister Naftali Bennett during a campaign visit, striking two women on Bennett’s staff.
Azrad faces charges of assault, attempted assault and conduct liable to disturb the public peace. Prosecutors also asked the court to keep Azrad under house arrest until the proceedings are completed. He was released from custody to house arrest earlier this week.
According to the indictment, Bennett was speaking with members of the public at a restaurant on Masada Street in Bnei Brak on the evening of September 24 when Azrad threw a glass salt shaker toward his table.
The salt shaker struck two women on Bennett’s team, the charges allege. Azrad then allegedly threw another glass object resembling a salt shaker, which landed near the table. Bennett was not injured.
Officers and troops who were at the restaurant arrested Azrad immediately, police said. They took him for questioning and initially held him in custody.
'No violence will stop me' Bennet announces after assault
Bennett, the chairman of B’Yachad, was at the restaurant to record an installment of his “Parliament” campaign video series ahead of the October 27 election. The videos feature Bennett speaking with groups of Israelis about political and social issues.
B’Yachad said after the incident that a group of political activists had arrived at the restaurant while Bennett was meeting with yeshiva students. Footage from the scene showed right-wing activist Mordechai David confronting Bennett, who told him to enlist in the military and said he would lose state funding once Bennett became prime minister.
After the incident, Bennett said that “no violence will stop me” and that the attacker did not represent the haredi public. He said he would continue campaigning throughout the country.
Alon Hachmon contributed to this report.