Minister (Likud) Tzachi Hanegbi on Thursday addressed recent election campaign activities of Blue & White MK Yair Lapid, who continues to incite against the chareidi tzibur.

The morning after the controversial separate seating Moti Steinmetz concert in Afula, Hanegbi made his statements against Lapid.

Hanegbi told Kikar Shabbos News, “To compel the chareidi community to do something that negates its culture appears to be quite extreme to me”. In the interview with Yishai Ravina, Hanegbi had sharp words of criticism for Lapid’s consistent unprovoked attacks against the chareidi community.

“There were three court rulings and I did not read any of them. However, first of all, I was happy the concert took place, with separate seating. To compel the chareidi community to do something that negates its culture appears to be quite extreme to me”.

Regarding Lapid’s continued incitement against the chareidim: “This was not a hint, but there is a shameful phenomenon taking place. We thought Yair Lapid was weaned off it [incitement] and apparently, he’s back to his distress, trying to discredit the crowds of hundreds of thousands of people and families who are contributing to the nation. He did not hint but he said openly. He did not write jokingly, he wrote ‘they want all the money in the country’. You can criticize budgetary preferences but to discredit the chareidi public in a way that is so close to anti-Semitism – this is something unbearable”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)