Netanyahu's wife sees leftist threat to his life

Israel's first lady, Sara Netanyahu, accused left-wing opposition leaders of inciting violence against her husband ahead of the second anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

"My husband is the target of a campaign of provocation, not from a little band of extremists but from leaders of the opposition who have taken an irresponsible path which could lead to another tragedy," Netanyahu said in a radio interview.

She did not describe the alleged provocation against her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or single out specific opposition leaders.

But her charges coincided with revived accusations from the left that Netanyahu played a key role in whipping up anti-government agitation prior to Rabin's assassination.

Opposition leaders and rank-and-file activists have also been fiercely critical of a remark by Netanyahu last month that left-wingers who backed the Oslo peace accords with the Palestinians "have forgotten what it means be Jewish."

Yossi Sarid, leader of the leftist Meretz party, rejected such charges. "If there is a threat to Netanyahu's life, it doesn't come from the left but from the same right-wing extremist groups who called for the murder of Yitzahk Rabin," he said.

Opposition parties launched a series of rallies yesterday mark the anniversary of Rabin's slaying.