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Letter from Rabbi Moshe Gafni, MK of Degel HaTorah-UTJ
by Rabbi Moshe Gafni
Recently, to our great dismay, we have been witness to significant incitement against the chareidi community by various agents including Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and lately the mayor of Tiveria who said, "I felt on the boardwalk like I was in Gaza. Aryeh Der'i is paying for the vacations of these chareidim from your money." And another member of the City Council of Tiveria who wants to discriminate in whom to allow entry to Tiveria, and more.
The law does not find that incitement against chareidim is (illegal) incitement, as it says in Paragraph 144a of the Criminal Code: "Persecution, humiliation, contempt, open expression of hatred, enmity or violence, causing hostility against a community or part of the citizenry, and all this because of color or race or national origin-ethnicity." Therefore incitement against Arabs is forbidden, against Blacks is forbidden, but against chareidim is not forbidden.
The Letter
I plan in the next Knesset (session) to change the language of the law to include incitement against chareidim among criminal offenses with a clear definition, in light of the circumstances cited above.
Against this in the law forbidding libel (lashon hara) it says: "Libel against a group of people or any community whatsoever, has the status of libel. An indictment for a transgression of this paragraph may be filed only by the Government Attorney General or with his consent." That is to say, the possibility of prosecuting a libel against a community is given to you. In light of the incitement and libel against the chareidi community that could bring very bad actions and must be stopped — is in your hands.
I request your investigation and intervention in this very serious process which should be stopped immediately.
With great respect,
Moshe Gafni
cc: Attorney Shai Nitzan, government prosecutor
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