On 14 Sivan, chairman of Shinui MK Tommy Lapid "apologized"
for his remarks against the Chevra Kadisha of Tel Aviv
comparing them to terrorists of the Islamic Jihad following
the horrendous terrorist attack in Tel Aviv on Shabbos night
parshas Nosso.
In a letter to Attorney General Eliakim Rubinstein, Lapid
writes that his own remarks were out of place and were made
under pressure, after he had received information that the
Chevra Kadisha supposedly refused to bury some of the
victims in the terrorist attack in the Dolphinarium because
their status as Jews is doubtful.
Attorney General Eliakim Rubinstein rejected a demand by
chairman of the Knesset Interior Affairs Committee, MK Rabbi
Moshe Gafni, that he order Israel Police to launch an
investigation against Tommy Lapid. "It is legally unfeasible
to criminally prosecute the chairman of Shinui, Tomy Lapid,
for the inciting, defamatory remarks he made in his attack
against the chareidi sector and the Chevra Kadisha this past
Shabbos to the effect that they supposedly refused to bury
the `questionable Jews' among the victims of the
Dolphinarium disaster. The principal of freedom of speech
prevails in Israel."
The Attorney General added, "The remarks Lapid is quoted as
making are indeed exasperating, and I am very sorry that
they were said. I have a deep regard for the efforts of
chareidi groups at massive disasters, and their behavior is
a kiddush Hashem. I wonder if anyone else besides
them would be willing to do such work."
He said that due to the publicity in the media, he was
approached at the cabinet meeting on Shabbos by Justice
Minister Shetreet, as well as by Deputy Minister Stern and
Government Secretary Gideon Saar on that issue. He told them
that he didn't believe that the charges were true, since
there are special arrangements for such cases. He added that
he told them he didn't believe that the Chevra Kadisha had
said anything at all on Shabbos. Rubinstein wrote Gafni that
he had suggested that the Justice Minister and others wait
until motzei Shabbos and then approach the chief
rabbis. He also assured them that the matter would be taken
care of in a dignified manner.
Rubinstein added, "I have deep respect for the work of the
chareidi groups during large-scale disasters. They sanctify
sheim Shomayim through their deeds, and I doubt if
anyone beside them would be willing to do such work."
Regarding the essence of the complaint, however, Rubinstein
explains: "Lapid's remarks can only be protested on the
public plane. I lack the tools to take criminal action on
such an issue."
Lapid's apology also comes in the wake of extensive public
pressure, including that of his fellow party members. MK
Yossi Paritzki of Shinui was also troubled by Lapid's
condemnation of the Chevra Kadisha and said that had he
himself made them, he wouldn't be ashamed to retract them.
Paritzki's remarks were made at a deliberation in the
Knesset on the issue. MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni also filed a
complaint against Lapid with the Knesset Ethics Committee
headed by Colette Avital.
On Shabbos and motzei Shabbos parshas Nosso, a
provocative defamation campaign was waged against the Chevra
Kadisha of Tel Aviv and the entire chareidi sector. The
Chevra Kadisha was accused of being unwilling to bury
terrorist attack victims whose Jewishness was in doubt. Tomy
Lapid went so far as to say that the chareidim are in
cohorts with the Hamas.
In the end it became clear that all these charges were
false, and that since no one had even asked the Chevra
Kadisha to bury the "questionable Jews" at that time, it
surely couldn't have refused to do so and didn't express any
opinion whatsoever on the issue because its offices were
closed on Shabbos.
After Shabbos, the Chevra Kadisha stated that there is a
special plot in the cemetery in Tel Aviv for such cases and
the non-Jewish victims of the terrorist attack could be
buried there with dignity.
In a discussion with Yated Ne'eman prior to Lapid's
"apology," Rabbi Gafni said that Lapid doesn't stop inciting
and defaming the chareidi sector, because that is his way:
the way of a fool. "The public at large will relate to
Lapid's future remakes and besmirching as groundless, as
they do now," Rabbi Gafni said.
Lapid's letter of apology was penned only after extensive
public pressure had been leveled against him. Secularists
also criticized him, saying, "He lacks intellectual
integrity. He must apologize for his offensive remarks,
which were based on false information."
In his appeal to the Attorney General, Rabbi Gafni had
written: "In the wake of the terrible attack and massacre
that occurred on Shabbos night in Tel Aviv, the media
publicized remarks of Tomy Lapid comparing the chareidim to
the Hamas: `The Hamas doesn't let the Russian immigrants
live, and the chareidim don't let them die.'
"It is superfluous to point out that these remarks
constitute grave incitement against a large sector in
Israel, which is enraged yet was helpless to counteract them
when they were made. Chareidim arrived at the scene on
Friday night immediately after the attack, with
Hatzoloh squads and ambulances, and worked alongside
all the other rescue squads with every last vestige of their
strength, treating the wounded and safeguarding the respect
of the deceased.
"I am trying to contain my anger, for you know
halocho and are aware of the supreme value of helping
with mesiras nefesh at such times. Despite all this,
we had to hear ourselves being compared to human beasts in
the form of the Hamas, in the words of Tomy Lapid, while the
media took advantage of our inability to answer his
provocative statements that there was no place to bury some
of the victims: remarks that were proven erroneous just as
soon as Shabbos was over," Gafni continued.
"The members of the Hatzoloh organization, who are
chareidim, arrived on the site of the attack which occurred
on Shabbos night the moment they were summoned, and made
supreme efforts to administer to the injured and to treat
the fatal casualties with cherdas kodesh. Jewish
halocho determines that mesiras nefesh and the
sanctity of life are supreme values, and Lapid's remarks
turned out to be utterly false.
"I therefore demand that you issue orders to launch an
investigation against Tomy Lapid for his provocative,
hateful remarks," concluded Gafni.
Lapid indeed responded and "apologized" to the chareidi
community via his letter to the Attorney General. However,
in the same letter, Lapid continued to attack the religious
establishment, demanding that the Jews and non-Jews killed
in the terrorist attack be buried in the same burial plot.
"The Chevra Kadisha should be censured for not wanting the
youngsters in their deaths, just as the terrorist
organizations do not want them during their lives," writes
Lapid, continuing to incite in his letter of "apology."
Although the media was notified after Shabbos that the
information was incorrect, reporter Avi Bettleheim gave Tomy
Lapid a platform on Channel Two Israel radio, where he
compared the Chevra Kadisha to the Hamas.
The Manof organization has filed a complaint with the Court
of Ethics of the Journalists Council to dismiss Bettleheim
for incitement, report of false information and for granting
a forum to incitement.
Manof also asked the Journalists Council to act against
media personnel who spread illogical contention and hatred
without first examining the issues.
At the opening of the meeting of the Interior Affairs
Committee on Monday following the incident, Rabbi Gafni
sharply censured Lapid's remarks, and said: "Comparing the
chareidim to the Hamas enraged me. Is there no limit to the
depths of corruption a person can reach?" He later also
censured Lapid in the Knesset.
An unpleasant incident took place in the Knesset Plenum the
following Monday, when Health Minister Nissim Dahan sharply
censured Knesset members who incited against the chareidi
sector and attacked the Chevra Kadisha without any
justification. Dahan called them "criminals."
In response, Knesset chairman Avraham Burg closed Dahan's
microphone and threatened to remove him from the podium.
Dahan, of course, sternly opposed Burg's behavior and
insisted that he has a right to say what he thinks. A
commotion erupted in the plenum. MK Yitzchak Gagula of Shas
was forcibly removed from the auditorium and the chairman
was forced to call a recess until order was restored.
