Meretz complains against Israeli rap artist for hate speech

Yoav Eliasi, known as The Shadow, published a cartoon on social media depicting a Meretz supporter backstabbing an IDF soldier.

By HAGAY HACOHEN
Updated: JULY 7, 2018 23:39
Hate speech against Meretz (photo credit: Courtesy)
Hate speech against Meretz
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Meretz submitted an official complaint to the police on Friday against singer Yoav Eliasi, also known as The Shadow, for incitement.
The complaint was in reaction to a cartoon that the singer posted to social media depicting a Meretz supporter stabbing an IDF soldier.
Calling “the incitement of this government… and of radicals like Eliasi” a danger to Israeli society, Meretz secretary Tomer Reznik said that the party cannot remain silent about such images.
Eliasi, who enjoys a large following on social media, posted the cartoon again and wrote: "Ah, here's to hypocrisy."
In his post, Eliasi referred to previous cases in which Meretz allegedly defended powerful and divisive images – such as a photograph of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a noose – as “free speech” and “anti-Israel” protests in universities as “democracy.” “But for this cartoon they ran to cry to the police. That’s just the way it is when the truth hurts!”
A poster with the image of Netanyahu facing a noose was shown in Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts in 2016. Meretz MK Issawi Frej condemned the poster at the time, saying that those who made it “are playing into Netanyahu’s hands.”
In a song titled “Warrior,” Eliasi referred to himself as “the last Zionist” and asked: “If I’m a part of the majority how is it possible that I’m an extremist?”