Radio Host Sparks Outrage by Labeling Chareidi Community as ‘Cancer’ in Shocking Broadcast

Radio host Ron Kofman vented Tuesday during a live radio broadcast on 103FM radio against the chareidi public, making severe accusations as he likened the community to “cancer” – implying that it’s a disease that needs aggressive treatment.

“We need to cleanse the place from the inside, from the extremists. Thirteen percent of the public has cancer in Israeli society,” he stated to one of the listeners in the radio program he presented alongside Yinon Magal, who asked him to retract his statements.

In response, during the second hour of the shows, Kofman, without retracting his harsh comments, explained that he is retracting his generalized statements against the entire chareidi public. “I retract my generalization,” he said. “It’s clear that I have no issue with the chareidim themselves – I have a significant issue with the chareidi leadership.”

Chairman of Shas Party, MK Rabbi Aryeh Deri, responded, “To call a Jewish public ‘cancer’ is a terrible low that reminds us of what our enemies did in exile when they expelled a human being from the Jews and allowed their bloodshed. These are shocking and horrifying statements that must be condemned unequivocally. We must not allow any differences of opinion to erode the discourse to such an extreme incitement.”

CEO of the BeTsalmo organization, Shai Glick, appealed to the Second Authority for Public Inquiries, David Regev, demanding an investigation and suspension process for Kofman. “I don’t even have words to express the shock that a broadcaster in the State of Israel, the state of the Jews, dares to use the worst word in the arsenal of words against his brothers and people. This person must be suspended immediately, and I hope that during his suspension, he will tour the cancer wards in the hospitals, see the extent of chareidi volunteering for himself, realize how wrong he is, and take advantage of the opportunity to start volunteering in these organizations.”