During a heated discussion in the Knesset Plenum over an amendment to the Racism Law, which would classify haredi Jews as a protected minority, MK Yaakov Asher (UTJ) debated opposition MKs who continuously attempted to interrupt him.
"You made the haredim out to be a fifth column," Asher attacked.
He recounted the incident which led him to devise the amendment: "A few years ago, there was ugly incitement by an elected official who used the worst expressions against the haredi public, a complaint was submitted to the State Attorney's Office, and the answer that was received from Deputy State Attorney Nurit Litman was amazing and infuriating all at once. She wrote that the law had no tools to protect haredim since they were not included in the Racism Law."
Asher added: "I'll read you from the letter: 'The law sets the definition of racism, and according to it, it is defined as persecution, degradation, debasement, expression of animosity, hostility, or violence, or causing discordance to a community or parts of the population, due to color or affiliation with a race or ethnicity. Although one can disavow some of these expressions, the haredi sector does not fall into the definition set by the Racism Law in Article 144 since it is not distinct by its color, race, or ethnicity. Therefore, it seems that the basis of the crime of racial incitement does not apply to these expressions.'"
At that point, MK Asher turned to the MKs: "I ask you, am I not identified as a haredi? Are my children not identified as haredi? A child with sidelocks isn't identified as a 'dos' (a negative term for religious)? I'm from this race, and I'm proud of it. But if a public leader would come and say that we have to take all the Ethiopian Jews or Arabs out in wheelbarrows, he would be accused under the Incitement Law. But he can say it about haredim. My entire life, I never believed that we needed to be a generalized community, I'm upset that we have come to a situation where we need such a law."
Opposition MKs, particularly from the Yesh Atid party, continuously attempted to interrupt MK Asher, who attacked them for their silence in the face of the incitement.
"What would happen if they would call the Russians 'bloodsuckers?'" Asher asked MK Vladimir Beliak, who was removed from the plenum due to his incessant interruptions, "If they would say to take them out in wheelbarrows? Why were you quiet then and didn't condemn Lieberman? You are the worst type of hypocrites. At least bow your heads.
The law is meant to create deterrence," he added and explained, "They turned the haredim into a punching bag, a fifth column, bloodsuckers, leaches, you have to take out in wheelbarrows, is that not racism? I expect all these hypocrites who come and ask us: 'Why can't you go with Yesh Atid, why wouldn't you form a government (with them)?' The answer is because you're hypocrites, and our teachers taught us to be wary of hypocrites," MK Asher concluded. The Knesset voted for the amendment in the preliminary reading with a majority of 54 MKs.
