Yesh Atid mayoral candidate posts anti-haredi campaign video
Holon mayoral candidate's ad reminiscent of Netanyahu's "Arabs will come in droves" comments.
By JEREMY SHARONUpdated: OCTOBER 7, 2018 19:59Yesh Atid party list event 370(photo credit: YONAH JEREMY BOB)
An election campaign video for Holon’s Yesh Atid mayoral candidate Ilan Gazit has been heavily criticized for advancing a seemingly divisive message against the haredi community.The video shows Gazit ostensibly criticizing the secular community for failing to show up to municipal elections by taking advantage of the day-off afforded by law to enjoy themselves and go to the beach unlike haredim, who he indicated vote en masse to advance their agenda.In the video Gazit says that “you,” meaning the secular community, “will go and have a picnic, maybe you’ll do a barbecue,” but then points to a black-and-white picture of a group of hassidic haredi men saying “but they will go and vote.”After several such examples, Gazit says that the secular community will complain that everything is corrupt and that their vote will not make a difference while “they”, the haredim, will go and vote and advance their agenda.He also says that if “we do not wake up,” there will be even more haredi members in the Holon municipal council than the current five members.The video sparked widespread criticism for inciting against haredim and advancing an “us against them” message and even of being antisemitic.“Sane voice? An [inciting] and objectionable voice more like,” wrote one commenter on Facebook.“Could you be more inciting? Disgraceful!” said another.Gazit did not, however, back down in the face of the criticism, and said he and Yesh Atid in Holon were simply calling on the public to go and vote.“Whoever does not vote lends his hand to the mini-markets law,” he continued, in reference to the legislation passed in the Knesset that gave the interior minister the right to block municipal legislation allowing more shops and businesses to open on Shabbat.
“[They give their hand to] religious-ification and haredi coercion. Any talk of antisemitism is for political purposes by those trying to dictate to others how to live and then cry when you attack them. We will continue to fight for the good of residents and no one will silence us,” Gazit said.
