Finance Minister Yair Lapid remains active on his Facebook page, commenting on many issues and responding to posts to the page. In response to the ongoing negative press against him in the chareidi media, the minister explains he could cash in big time if he wanted to file lawsuits against the chareidi media.
“For weeks, the chareidim launched an all-out war against me, including catcalls and insults. If I had the time and patience, I could make a fortune in lawsuits against the chareidi media. It is hard to believe that religious people express themselves in such a rude and violent fashion. Behold, I, in the first hours as finance minister, the first thing that I do is extend the term of Rabbi Amar and Rabbi Metzger”.
He adds “The chareidi tzibur must realize the door remains open to them. This is part of our commitment to assist them. Anyone telling you that we will use the situation to exclude or discriminate against you is seeking to create an atmosphere and hate and fear and we must combat this together…”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
That’s true since in Medinat Yisrael, unlike the United States, there is no doctrine of Freedom of Speech. You can be arrested for criticizing the government. While this sounds shocking to Americans, it is typical of most countries in the Middle East.
oh cmon,
and the chareidim can make a killing from the media (lapid included) on all the negative press they get
Read Lapig not Lapid
Wow, mamesh a Tzaddik!
His arrogance knows no bounds
Gehinom is around the corner for this rasha
“Behold, I, in the first hours as finance minister, the first thing that I do is extend the term of Rabbi Amar and Rabbi Metzger”.
Behold, you did so only because your good buddy Bennet cut a deal with Shas that he’d get the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbinate if he let R’ Amar get a second term as Sephardi Chief Rabbi. Let’s not pretend you were, or ever have been, doing us any favors.
“The chareidi tzibur must realize the door remains open to them. This is part of our commitment to assist them.”
Riight. That’s why Lapid said he would never agree to photographed with the Chareidim in the official government photo.
Cmon lapid, bring it on!!
Talk is cheap! Let’s see u actually do anything! What, u gonna sue Kol Berama Radio , Kol Chai Radio, Yated, Hapeles, Hamodia, Mishpacha, Yom L’Yom and all the other chareidi Israeli Media???? Just another hothead politician….
Akupera- what you and the article fail to clarify is that the charadim have been using Israeli media, printed in Israel, to bash Lapid- not facebook. You can write whatever you want on facebook as long as it is not a violation of their TOS, and facebook’s servers are in America – where there is freedom of speech.
To No. 6
Its not clear which Charedi leaders you are referring to but in any event, making false and misleading comments about a public figure like Lapid is NOT a reason to presume that some chasuve rav is going to gehenom. Criticizing public officials can be done in a civil way without some of the hyperbole we read in the Chareidi media.
brooklynhocker – And under American law, Lapid would have to prove that he wasn’t a Rasha who is trying to destroy the yeshivos and destroy the hareidi community (which would be hard to do, not only since he would have the burden of proof, but because such charges are in fact TRUE). Since the accusations are true the “public figure” issue wouldn’t arise. In addition, one can’t sue for defamation if one’s one community holds the comments to be non-defamatory, and the fact is that the non-Orthodox Jews (Reform, Conservative, Zionist, Secular) consider him a hero for trying to destroy the yeshiovos and the hareidi communities.