A new law stating criminalizing incitement against Chareidim under the Racism Law was approved on Sunday in a preliminary reading in the Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The bill was sponsored by UTJ MK Yaakov Asher, who tried passing the same bill [unsuccessfuly] during the Bennett-Lapid government, and was co-sponsored by UTJ MKs Moshe Gafni and Yitzchak Pindrus.

Until now, incitement was only considered racism when it was perpetrated on the basis of color, race, or national-ethnic origin. Since incitement against Chareidim does not fall under any of these definitions, a “vacuum” was created which Asher seeks to correct by this law.

The explanation for the bill states: “Recently, we are witnessing an expanding phenomenon of incitement to racism towards the Chareidi sector. Particularly serious are the cases in which incitement is carried out by elected officials with the aim of dividing the people and thereby reaping political gain while harming the entire public and the unity of the people. These cases also have other consequences, including the entrenchment of the phenomenon of racism in society towards the Chareidi population.”

“Following the incitement to serious racism that was recently carried out by an elected official towards the Chareidi population, a complaint was submitted to the State Attorney’s office. The office’s response stated that according to the parameters of the Penal Law, the basis of the crime of incitement to racism does not apply to statements toward the Chareidi population since the law defines racism as incidents due to color or belonging to a race or national-ethnic origin, and the Chareidi population is not distinguished by color, race or national-ethnic origin. In this regard, it should be noted that the Chareidi population is indeed not distinguished by the color of its skin, etc., but it is distinguished by its clothing and lifestyle, so there is no rationale for an exception to the provisions of the law.”

Asher said: “The time has come to put a red line to the dangerous incitement that is raging against the Chareidi public with the encouragement of inciting politicians and media personalities. There is no other group in the State of Israel that is incited against as a group like the Chareidi public. The law that I initiated will make it possible to exact a cost from instigators and make it clear that the blood of Chareidi citizens will not be hefker.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)