The indictment alleges Khantsis threatened the Shin Bet agents and a state prosecutor at an August 11 court hearing in which two other alleged Jewish West Bank settler terrorists were remanded into administrative detention for six months. Khantsis shouted, “We will deal with you!” at the agents and then swiped his finger across his throat in a cutting motion while staring at Deputy State Prosecutor Orly Ben-Ari.
Above: Ephraim Khantsis
Haredi West Bank Extremist Indicted For Threatening Shin Bet Agents, Deputy State Prosecutor
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A right-wing haredi extremist was indicted yesterday on charges of threatening agents of Israel’s Internal Security Service (more commonly known as the Shabak or the Shin Bet) and a deputy state prosecutor, i24 News reported based on a report on Channel 10 News.
Ephraim Khantsis (also sometimes spelled "Khantzis") immigrated to Israel from the US in 2010.
The indictment alleges Khantsis threatened the Shin Bet agents and a state prosecutor at an August 11 court hearing in which two other alleged Jewish West Bank settler terrorists, extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane's grandson Meir Ettinger and Eviatar Slonim, were remanded into administrative detention for six months. Khantsis shouted, “We will deal with you!” at the agents and then swiped his finger across his throat in a cutting motion while staring at Deputy State Prosecutor Orly Ben-Ari.
“He didn’t hesitate to threaten the legal counsel of the Shin Bet, even after he was detained and surrounded by guards. His behavior points to a lack of fear,” the charge sheet reportedly reads.
In 2010, Khantsis was banned from the West Bank by the government after voicing support for another Orthodox terrorist originally from the US, Ya’akov Teitel, who murdered two Palestinians and tried to kill left-wing and gay Jews. At that time, the Shin Bet reportedly issued an order for his detention due to his strong potential to “harm to the security of the state” and said it had concrete intelligence he planned to carry out violent terror attacks. Haaretz reported earlier this month that instead of detention, Khantsis was allowed to leave Israel after his lawyer struck a deal with the Shin Bet.