In anticipation of President Reuven Rivlin’s planned meeting with Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman this week, Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (Agudat Yisrael) wrote a letter to Rivlin, requesting him to influence Liberman to lower the flames of incitement towards the Chareidi sector, Kikar Shabbos reported on Monday.
“I’m appealing to the honored President on an issue which is on my heart for a long time, and I even brought it up to you in public,” Litzman wrote. “To my great sorrow, the last elections have caused polarization and division in Israeli society and to the spread of hatred which could chalilah cause a rift in the nation.”
“If during every election period, we’ve unfortunately become used to hearing outrageous statements, currently we’re exposed to even harsher statements, especially from MKs Avigdor Liberman and Yair Lapid against communities, parties and populations, who are vilified on a daily and even hourly basis.”
“My honored president, we’re brothers, sons of one nation and must respect each other. We must consider how to unite and not to – chalilah – split, and surely not to boycott, besmirch and mock each other only because of religious affiliation or sector. Even if we have differences of opinion, it’s forbidden for us to reach the point of boycotting entire sectors and ostracizing them from the Israeli public.”
“The Chareidi and religious parties include close to a million and a half people who are boycotted and defamed by politicians without any reason, and therefore I’m turning to you – who dedicates his time and energy to uniting various sectors – to take action to lower the flames and change the current dialogue.”
After receiving the letter, Rivlin called Litzman and told him that he feels like a brother to him and loves him. “Everything you wrote is on my desk where I can see it. I feel like you wrote my heart’s thoughts.”
Rivlin also invited Litzman for a meeting together with Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
I agree with Litzman’s call for civility with respect to the Chareidi tzibur. Now if only he would call upon his coalition partners to show the same civility towards ALL segments of the Blue/White slate