Back to Old Form, Lapid Claims Yeshivah Students Will Receive More Than Soldiers; The Extremists Will Rule the Country

YERUSHALAYIM
MKs Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf (L.) and Rabbi Moshe Gafni, seen at a United Torah Judaism faction meeting at the Knesset, Monday. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Throughout the election campaign, Yesh Atid’s leader, outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid, was careful not to incite against the chareidi public, leaving the arena to Avigdor Liberman and others. But not anymore. On Monday, after realizing that he is headed for the opposition, he returned to the old and inciting Lapid.

At the beginning of a Yesh Atid faction meeting, Lapid spoke about the apparent coalition deals, saying, “The new government has not yet been established, but it already has decisions: Yeshivah students will receive more money than IDF soldiers. Smotrich wants to cancel soccer matches on Shabbat. A law will be enacted to separate men and women in the public sphere.”

“The State of Israel is a Jewish state, not a halachic state,” incited Lapid, as if someone really wants to establish a halachic state in Israel.

“I want to ask Likud voters if this is really what they wanted,” he charged. “Is this why you voted Likud? In order for them to take money from soldiers and give it to yeshivah students? You’re going to be a minority in this government that’s about to be formed.”

He was also incorrect on this claim. An IDF soldier received NIS 1,235 monthly, while a yeshivah student receives NIS 730. A married avreich receives NIS 1,314, while a married soldier receives between NIS 4,000 to NIS 5,000.

“The government hasn’t even been created yet,” he continued, “but we’re already hearing that they’re going to legislate the Override Clause. They’re going to destroy the courts. They’re going to destroy Israeli democracy. And all for personal reasons. All in order to enable Netanyahu to cancel the cases against him, and so that Deri can erase his own disgraces.”

United Torah Judaism MK Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf said that “the mask has been removed from Lapid’s face. He was ready to give Mansour Abbas everything he asked for, how dare he incite against us? We do not want to take anything from others, we only ask for the correction of the ongoing injustice towards us, we want to be equal among equals.

“Today you betrayed the entire nation of Israel. If you were such a good leader and had a strong government, why they didn’t vote for you again? Everyone betrayed you. You hid your character for a year and a half, and now it came out.”

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni said, “We would have received everything [we demanded] from Lapid if we joined a coalition with him. What did he not promise us? What a chutzpah, why didn’t you say these things for the last year and a half?”

The Shas party responded, “Lapid’s great hatred for the chareidi and traditional sector has been revealed once again. For months he tried to disguise himself and said that he had changed his ways, but today he returned to the incitement. Lapid, the majority of Israeli citizens said in a clear voice: We are proud to be Jews, we want to live in a Jewish state. In the coming days, b’ezrat Hashem, we will establish a government of faith that will extinguish the torch of hatred and restore sanity to the country.”

UTJ MK Rabbi Yaakov Asher responded to Lapid, “We have finished receiving instructions from his honor. You recently tried to be stately when in the meantime you embraced the Muslim Brotherhood, today you returned to the old and natural Lapid, inciting against your Jewish brothers, in a desperate attempt to hide your resounding failure.

“Yair, the State of Israel will remain Jewish in spite of you and your anger. The people of Israel are fed up with discrimination and polarization, and that’s why they sent you to the benches of the opposition. And probably the time has come for what you did in the army to be exposed at the expense of your friends who fought and sacrificed their lives, hypocrite that you are.”

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