MK Naftali Bennett (Yamina) on Friday responded to MK Yair Lapid's (Yesh Atid) threat that if Chabad voters support MK Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, Lapid will "persecute" the movement. "This week, Yair Lapid threatened one of the leaders of Chabad that if they support Smotrich's party, he'll persecute Chabad," Bennett said, adding a quote from Lapid that such a move would spell "the end of the story of Hanukkah menorahs on every corner during Hanukkah and Chabad houses around the world." "It's embarrassing," Bennett said. "I am eternally grateful to Chabad. Thanks to Chabad of Montreal, my father, of blessed memory, and my mother and all of us became connected to Judaism (see the photo of me as a child)." "Friends, Chabad saves countless Jews across the globe, for dozens of years already. They don't take a single shekel from the State of Israel. In any world disaster in India or Nepal - they are there for us. "Chabad emissaries put their lives and their families' lives on the line, in all corners of the world, in harsh places such as Siberia, Venezuela, and Alaska - just to reach another Jew. "For all of this, Lapid dares to threaten them because of politics?! Would he dare to say such a thing to a group of pilots who want to vote for Meretz?! Would he threaten Beit Berl? "Beloved Chabad emissaries - continue on your path. This evil threat will dissipate into the garbage can of history. I love you together with the entire Jewish people."
