Georgia questions Israeli House founder over potential terrorist threat

Georgia’s State Security Service (SSG) questioned Itsik Moshe, president of the Georgian-Israeli Business Chamber and founder of the “Israeli House,” in connection with a possible terrorist threat in Georgia during a planned visit by Knesset members.

Moshe said the Knesset delegation was forced to cancel its upcoming weekend trip due to the alleged threat, Caliber.Az reports via Sputnik Georgia.

He added that the information had also been shared with Georgian authorities.

“In connection with the spread of disinformation about supposed terrorist threats in Georgia, Itsik Moshe, summoned to the State Security Service, stated that he received this information from a Knesset member, who in turn had received it from a representative of the Knesset Ethics Committee,” the SSG said.

The agency noted that Moshe could not identify a more specific or credible source.

“In response to a question about why he told the media that the Georgian side had been warned, Itsik Moshe denied this entirely. He told journalists that if the threat were real, the Georgian side would certainly have been informed,” the SSG added.

The State Security Service urged the public to refrain from spreading “such absurd, unserious, harmful and unverified information.”

Georgian State Security previously stated that neither Georgian nor Israeli intelligence had any information about a potential terrorist threat in Georgia, and therefore did not share such information with anyone.

Israeli news outlets reported that Knesset members called off their planned trip to Georgia following indications of a potential terrorist threat, citing statements from the Knesset Guard that a security assessment had led to the cancellation.

The purpose of the “Israel Week” event planned in Tbilisi is to promote economic and informational cooperation between Georgia and Israel.

By Jeyhun Aghazada